Display device and electronic device

ABSTRACT

A touch-sensor-equipped display device has: a panel unit including a screen area in which units of detection constituting a touch-sensor function and pixels constituting a display function are formed in a matrix pattern; a plurality of shared electrodes which are formed in the screen area, parallel to an X-direction, and for both display drive and touch drive; a plurality of common electrodes for display drive which are parallel to the X-direction and respectively alternately disposed with the plurality of respective shared electrodes in a Y-direction; a plurality of detection electrodes which are parallel to the Y-direction and intersecting with the plurality of shared electrodes and the plurality of common electrodes; and the units of detection corresponding to respective capacitors formed by intersections of the plurality of shared electrodes and the plurality of detection electrodes.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Japanese Priority PatentApplication JP 2013-060914 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Mar. 22,2013, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to techniques of a display device, anelectronic device, etc. provided with a touch-sensor function.

Various electronic devices and display devices such as smartphones areequipped with a touch-sensor device (also referred to as a touch panel)as input means. Examples of the touch-sensor device include atouch-sensor device of a capacitive type, etc. Examples of thetouch-sensor device include a touch-sensor-equipped display device inwhich electrodes constituting the touch-sensor function are built in adisplay panel. Note that the touch-sensor-equipped display device inwhich the electrodes constituting the touch-sensor function is built inthe display panel is also referred to as an in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device. Also, examples of thetouch-sensor-equipped display device include a touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device in which the touch-sensor device of the capacitive typeis applied to a liquid-crystal display device.

The touch-sensor device of the capacitive type has drive electrodes anddetection electrodes as the electrodes which compose the touch-sensorfunction. In the touch-sensor device, in a surface serving as a touchdetection area, for example, the plurality of drive electrodes areparallel to an in-plane horizontal direction, the plurality of detectionelectrodes are parallel to an in-plane perpendicular direction, and thepairs of the drive electrodes and the detection electrodes mutuallyintersect, with a distance therebetween, in the perpendicular directionof the surface of the touch detection area. The intersections of thepairs of the drive electrodes and the detection electrodes formcapacitors corresponding to units of touch detection. Note that, for thesake of explanation, the units of the touch detection will be referredto as units of detection. In the touch-sensor device, the plurality ofunits of detection are formed in a matrix pattern in the touch detectionarea.

The touch-sensor device has a circuit unit connected to theabove-described drive electrodes and the detection electrodes. Thecircuit unit inputs touch-drive signals to the drive electrodes anddetects the signals, which are output from the detection electrodesthrough the units of detection based on the signals. When thecapacitance(s) at the unit(s) of detection is changed by a touch with aconductor such as a finger with respect to the surface of the touchdetection area, the circuit unit detects the change of the capacitanceas an electric signal. As a result, the touch-sensor device can detectthe presence/absence, position, etc. of the touch to the touch detectionarea.

The in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device, for example, hasa configuration in which at least one of the drive electrodes and thedetection electrodes, for example, the drive electrodes serving as theelectrodes constituting the above-described touch-sensor function arebuilt in the liquid-crystal display panel unit. The in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device of this configuration, for example,has electrodes made by integrating common electrodes and theabove-described drive electrodes of liquid-crystal display in a TFT(thin-film transistor) board and has the above-described detectionelectrodes in a color filter board.

As a drive method, for example, a method in which a display period of adisplay function of the liquid-crystal display and a touch detectionperiod of the touch-sensor function are separated in terms of time tocarry out drive is used to the above-described in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device. The drive method using this timedivision has an advantage that the influence of noise generated from theliquid-crystal display panel unit in the display period does not easilyaffect the device in the touch detection period.

Conventional technique examples related to the above-describedtouch-sensor-equipped display device include Japanese Patent ApplicationLaid-Open No. 2009-244958 (Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, aconfiguration example of an in-cell-type touch-sensor-equippedliquid-crystal display device is described.

SUMMARY

As a problem related to the touch drive time, which is time forsubjecting the drive electrodes to touch drive for the touch-sensorfunction, and to the touch detection period, which is a period ensuringthe touch drive time, a display device such as the above-describedin-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device is required to shortenthe time.

In the case of the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device, ifthe method in which the display period and the touch detection perioddescribed above are driven by time division is used, it is difficult toensure a long time as a matter of design of the touch detection period.More specifically, in the case of the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device, for example along size expansion of a display area,resolution increase, size expansion of the touch detection area, ordensity increase of the arrangement of the units of detection, itbecomes difficult to ensure the display period and the touch detectionperiod having required lengths in a frame period having a predeterminedlength.

The display device such as the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device has the following problems related to shortening of thetime. An in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device of acomparative example has a configuration in which the above-describedelectrodes integrating the common electrodes and the drive electrodesare built in a TFT substrate of a liquid-crystal display panel unit. Asa drive method corresponding to this configuration, the above-describedmethod of driving the display period and the touch detection period bytime division is used to the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice of the comparative example. In the in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device of the comparative example, theloads at the paths including the capacitors serving as the units ofdetection formed by the intersections of the pairs of the driveelectrodes and the detection electrodes are high. In the in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device of the comparative example, thetouch drive time of the drive electrodes becomes long in accordance withthe above-described loads of the paths. When the touch drive time ofeach of the drive electrodes becomes long, the touch detection period,which is the period including the touch drive time of the plurality ofdrive electrodes of the touch detection area, becomes long.

A problem of loads of paths upon touch drive and touch detection in thein-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device of the above-describedcomparative example will be explained. In the in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device of the comparative example shown inFIG. 37, capacitors Cx are formed by intersections of drive electrodesTx and detection electrodes Rx. Units of detection Ux are formed by thecapacitors Cx. FIG. 37 briefly shows an equivalent circuit and loadsabout the paths including the drive electrodes Tx, the units ofdetection Ux, and the detection electrodes Rx. A touch detection area933 has the plurality of capacitors Cx formed to respectively correspondto the intersecting portions of the pairs of the plurality of driveelectrodes Tx and the plurality of detection electrodes Rx. FIG. 37briefly shows only one of the capacitors Cx formed by the intersectionof the single drive electrode Tx and the single detection electrode Rx.

One of path parts 934 in a touch detection area 933 includes the driveelectrode Tx, the detection electrode Rx, and the unit of detection(detection unit) Ux formed by the capacitor Cx formed in the vicinity ofthe intersecting portion of the drive electrode Tx and the detectionelectrode Rx. The whole paths including the above-described path part934 include wirings 901, the drive electrodes Tx, the capacitors Cx orthe unit of detection Ux, the detection electrodes Rx, and wirings 902.The wiring 901 is formed on a first board structure 931 and connects thepart between the drive electrode Tx of the touch detection area 933 anda circuit of a touch drive unit 950. The wiring 902 is formed on asecond board structure 932 and connects the part between the detectionelectrode Rx of the touch detection area 933 and a circuit of a touchdetection part 960.

Upon the touch drive at the above-described path, a signal for touchdrive from the touch drive unit 950 is applied to the drive electrode Txof the touch detection area 933 through the wiring 901. In the path part934 of the touch detection area 933, the signal is transmitted throughthe drive electrode Tx and transmitted to the detection electrode Rx viathe respective capacitor Cx of the unit of detection Ux. Then, thesignal transmitted through the detection electrode Rx is input to anddetected by the touch detection part 960 through the wiring 902.

The loads in the whole paths upon the above-described touch drive andtouch detection includes first loads 911 and second loads 912, which arepresent in the drive electrodes Tx and the wirings 901, and loads 921,which are present in the detection electrodes Rx and the wirings 902.The first load 911 includes the load of the wiring connected to a firstend of the drive electrode Tx of the touch detection area 933 among thewirings 901, and the second load 912 includes the load of the wiringconnected to a second end of the drive electrode Tx. The first load 911has a capacitor C11 and a resistance R11. The second load 912 has acapacitor C12 and a resistance R12. The load 921 of the detectionelectrode Rx and the wiring 902 thereof has a capacitor C13 and aresistance R13.

Upon the touch drive and touch detection in the above-described paths,each of the capacitors Cx per se of the path parts 934 in the touchdetection area 933 works as a corresponding load with respect to thesignal transmitted on the path. In the path parts 934, the capacitors Cxof the intersecting portions, which serve as detection targets withrespect to the signals transmitted through the path parts 934, and theother capacitors Cx, which are intermediate pathways and not serving asdetection targets at the plurality of intersecting portions, arepresent. In the path parts 934, the plurality of capacitors Cx notserving as the detection targets are applied as loads to the signalswhich pass through the capacitors Cx serving as the detection targets.

Upon the touch drive in the paths including the above-described pathparts 934, the plurality of capacitors Cx not serving as the detectiontargets are applied as loads to the signals, which pass through thecapacitors Cx serving as the detection targets; therefore, touch drivetime corresponding to the level of the loads is needed.

It is a preferred aim of the present invention to provide techniqueswith which touch drive time and a touch detection period can beshortened by reducing the loads in paths including the capacitors formedby the intersections of the drive electrodes and detection electrodes inrelation to a touch-sensor-equipped display device. It is anotherpreferred aim of the present invention to provide techniques with whichthe sensitivity of touch detection can be maintained or improvedtogether with the shortening of the above-mentioned touch drive time andtouch detection period.

Typical embodiments of the present invention relates to a display deviceprovided with a touch-sensor function, an electronic device providedwith the display device, etc., having the configurations as described inthe following.

(1) A display device according to an embodiment includes: a panel unitincluding a screen area in which units of detection composing atouch-sensor function and pixels composing a display function are formedin a matrix pattern; a plurality of drive electrodes which are formed inthe screen area, parallel to a first direction, and for both displaydrive and touch drive; a plurality of common electrodes for displaydrive which are formed in the screen area, parallel to the firstdirection, and respectively alternately disposed with the plurality ofrespective drive electrodes in a second direction intersecting with thefirst direction; a plurality of detection electrodes which are formed inthe screen area, parallel to the second direction, and intersect withthe plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of commonelectrodes; and the units of detection corresponding to respectivecapacitors formed by intersections of the plurality of drive electrodesand the plurality of detection electrodes.

(2) A width of each of the plurality of drive electrodes in the seconddirection is larger than a width of each of the plurality of detectionelectrodes in the first direction and is the same as a width of each ofthe plurality of common electrodes in the second direction.Alternatively, a width of each of the plurality of drive electrodes inthe second direction is larger than the width of the plurality ofdetection electrodes in the first direction and is smaller than a widthof each of the plurality of common electrodes in the second direction.Still alternatively, a width of each of the plurality of driveelectrodes in the second direction is larger than a width of each of theplurality of detection electrodes in the first direction and is largerthan a width of each of the common electrodes in the second direction.

(3) In the screen area, the plurality of drive electrodes and theplurality of common electrodes are formed in a same layer in a thirddirection perpendicular to the screen area; and the plurality of driveelectrodes are respectively juxtaposed with the plurality of respectivecommon electrodes with a constant interval therebetween.

(4) Each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a thin wiring partextending in the first direction and intersecting with the detectionelectrode, and a protruding electrode portion protruding from the thinwiring part to the second direction in a region not intersecting withthe detection electrode.

(5) Each of the plurality of common electrodes has a thin wiring partextending in the first direction, and a protruding electrode portionprotruding from the thin wiring part to the second direction in a regionintersecting with the detection electrode.

(6) In the screen area, the plurality of drive electrodes and theplurality of common electrodes are formed in a same layer in a thirddirection perpendicular to the screen area; and the plurality of driveelectrodes are respectively juxtaposed with the plurality of respectivecommon electrodes with a constant interval therebetween.

(7) Each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a plurality ofelectrode portions provided to be mutually separated in a region notintersecting with the detection electrode in the first direction, and awiring part which extends in the first direction and couple theplurality of electrode portions to a region thereof intersecting withthe detection electrode.

(8) The plurality of common electrodes formed in the screen area isformed as an integrated common electrode in the screen area byconnection in the second direction with thin line portions providedbetween the plurality of electrode portions in the plurality of driveelectrodes, and has a plurality of opening portions corresponding topositions at which the plurality of electrode portions are respectivelydisposed.

(9) In the screen area, the plurality of electrode portions of theplurality of drive electrodes and the integrated common electrode areformed in a same layer in a third direction perpendicular to the screenarea; and the plurality of electrode portions of the plurality of driveelectrodes are disposed respectively in the plurality of openingportions of the integrated common electrode with a constant interval.

(10) The plurality of electrode portions are formed of a firstelectrically conductive material; and the wiring part is formed of asecond electrically conductive material having a resistance lower thanthat of the first electrically conductive material.

(11) The wiring part is provided in a first layer in a third directionperpendicular to the screen area; the wiring part has a plurality ofwirings parallel to the first direction; the plurality of electrodeportions are provided in a second layer in the third direction; and, ineach of the plurality of drive electrodes, each of the plurality ofelectrode portions and the plurality of wirings of the wiring part arecoupled to each other by a contact connecting portion in the thirddirection. The electrode portion is provided above the wiring part inthe third direction. Alternatively, the wiring part is provided abovethe electrode portion in the third direction.

(12) The plurality of detection electrodes are formed of thin lineportions disposed at a constant pitch in the first direction.Alternatively, the plurality of detection electrodes are disposed at aconstant pitch in the first direction; and each of the plurality ofdetection electrodes is formed of a thin line portion branched into twoin the screen area. Still alternatively, each of the plurality ofdetection electrodes has, at a position overlapped with the commonelectrode in a third direction perpendicular to the screen area, aprotruding electrode portion protruding in the first direction from thethin line portion extending in the second direction.

(13) In the display device according to the embodiment, the panel unithas a first board structure in which the plurality of drive electrodesand the plurality of common electrodes are formed; a second boardstructure in which the plurality of detection electrodes are formed; anda display function layer which is provided between the first boardstructure and the second board structure and is controlled by the pixelsin order to display an image. For example, the display function layer isa liquid crystal layer.

(14) A display device according to an embodiment further includes: afirst circuit unit which applies touch-drive signals to the plurality ofdrive electrodes in the screen area; a second circuit unit which appliesdisplay-drive signals to the plurality of drive electrodes and theplurality of common electrodes of the screen area; a third circuit unitwhich applies a display-drive signal to the matrix of the pixels of thescreen area; and a fourth circuit unit which detects a touch-detectionsignal based on the touch-drive signals from the plurality of detectionelectrodes of the screen area.

(15) In a period corresponding to the display function, the secondcircuit unit applies a signal of a first voltage to the plurality ofdrive electrodes and the plurality of common electrodes in the screenarea, and the third circuit unit applies the display-drive signal to thematrix of the pixels; and, in a period corresponding to the touch-sensorfunction, the first circuit unit applies the touch-drive signals to theplurality of drive electrodes of the screen area, and the fourth circuitunit detects the touch-detection signal from the plurality of detectionelectrodes of the screen area.

(16) In the period corresponding to the touch-sensor function, thesecond circuit unit applies the signal of the first voltage to theplurality of common electrodes of the screen area.

(17) In the period corresponding to the touch-sensor function, thesecond circuit unit causes the plurality of common electrodes of thescreen area to be in a high-impedance state.

(18) In the period corresponding to the touch-sensor function, thesecond circuit unit applies a signal of a second voltage different fromthe first voltage to the plurality of common electrodes of the screenarea.

(19) In the period corresponding to the touch-sensor function, the firstcircuit unit applies the touch-drive signals sequentially to theplurality of drive electrodes of the screen area taking the single driveelectrode as a unit of scanning. Alternatively, in the periodcorresponding to the touch-sensor function, the first circuit unitapplies the touch-drive signals sequentially to the plurality of driveelectrodes of the screen area taking two or more drive electrodesthereof as a unit of scanning.

(20) In the period corresponding to the touch-sensor function, the firstcircuit unit applies the touch drive signals to at least one of thedrive electrodes serving as a scanning target among the plurality ofdrive electrodes of the screen area and causes the other driveelectrodes to be in a high-impedance state at the same time.

(21) An electronic device according to an embodiment includes a controlpart which carries out control related to the touch-sensor function andcontrol related to the display function with respect to the displaydevice and acquires touch detection information from the touch-sensorfunction.

According to the typical embodiments of the present invention, inrelation to the touch-sensor-equipped display device, the touch drivetime and the touch detection period can be shortened by reducing theloads in the paths including the capacitors formed by the intersectionsof the drive electrodes and the detection electrodes. Moreover,according to the typical embodiments of the present invention, thesensitivity of the touch detection can be maintained or improvedtogether with the shortening of the above-mentioned touch drive time andthe touch detection period.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will beapparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 includes diagrams (a) and (b) each showing an outline of aconfiguration of a TFT substrate in an XY-plane of a panel unit in atouch-sensor-equipped display device of an embodiment 1A of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 includes diagrams (a) and (b) each showing a mountingconfiguration example of the touch-sensor-equipped display device of theembodiment 1A;

FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a functional block configuration of thetouch-sensor-equipped display device of the embodiment 1A and aconfiguration of an electronic device provided with thetouch-sensor-equipped display device;

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a configuration of an equivalent circuit ofa pixel in a liquid-crystal display device of a TFT type;

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a configuration of an XY-plane related toelectrodes of a screen area of the touch-sensor-equipped display deviceof the embodiment 1A;

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a configuration of a schematic XZ crosssection of the panel unit of the embodiment 1A corresponding to a lined1-d2 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a configuration of a schematic YZ crosssection of the panel unit of the embodiment 1A corresponding to a lined3-d4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 shows a timing chart of various signals and voltages as aconfiguration example of a drive method and a drive period in thetouch-sensor-equipped display device of the embodiment 1A, etc.;

FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a configuration example of a drive unitcorresponding to a first drive method in the embodiment 1A;

FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a scanning drive method and a scanningdrive example of the screen area in a touch detection period accordingto the embodiment 1A;

FIG. 11A is a drawing showing a principle of a touch-sensor device of ancapacitive type;

FIG. 11B is a drawing showing a principle of a touch-sensor device of ancapacitive type;

FIG. 11C is a drawing showing a principle of a touch-sensor device of ancapacitive type;

FIG. 12 is a drawing showing loads of paths for explaining effects ofthe embodiment 1A;

FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a circuit configuration example of a driveunit corresponding to a second drive method in a touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device of an embodiment 1B of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a drawing showing a configuration of a shared-electrodeoutput part, which is a circuit unit corresponding to an output to oneshared electrode in the drive unit of the embodiment 1B;

FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a configuration of a common-electrodeoutput part, which is a circuit unit corresponding to output to onecommon electrode in the drive unit of the embodiment 1B;

FIG. 16 is a drawing showing a circuit configuration example of a driveunit corresponding to a third drive method in a touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device of an embodiment 1C of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a drawing showing an example of scanning drive of a screenarea as a scanning drive method in a touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice of an embodiment 1D of the present invention;

FIG. 18 shows a drawing showing a configuration example of a scanningdrive method and a drive period in a touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice of an embodiment 1E of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a drawing showing a circuit configuration example of a driveunit corresponding to the scanning drive method of the embodiment 1E;

FIG. 20 is a drawing showing a configuration of an XY-plane ofelectrodes of a screen area in a touch-sensor-equipped display device ofa second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a partially enlarged view of the electrode configuration ofFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 includes diagrams (a) to (c) showing states of generation ofelectric fields corresponding to the electrode configuration of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a drawing showing a configuration of an XY-plane ofelectrodes of a screen area in a touch-sensor-equipped display device ofa third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a drawing showing a configuration of an XY-plane of commonelectrodes according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a drawing showing a configuration of a schematic XZ crosssection of a panel unit of the third embodiment corresponding to a lined5-d6 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a drawing showing a configuration of a schematic YZ crosssection of the panel unit of the third embodiment corresponding to aline d7-d8 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 27 is a drawing showing a configuration of a schematic YZ crosssection of the panel unit of the third embodiment corresponding to aline d9-d10 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 28 includes diagrams (a) and (b) showing states of generation ofelectric fields corresponding to the electrode configuration of FIG. 23;

FIG. 29A is a drawing showing a modification example of the embodiment1A;

FIG. 29B is a drawing showing a modification example of the embodiment1A;

FIG. 30A is a drawing showing a modification example of the embodiment1A;

FIG. 30B is a drawing showing a modification example of the embodiment1A;

FIG. 31A is a drawings showing an external appearance of cases in whichan electronic device of a fourth embodiment is a smartphone;

FIG. 31B is a drawings showing an external appearance of cases in whichan electronic device of a fourth embodiment is a tablet terminal;

FIG. 32A is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is a mobile phone;

FIG. 32B is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is the mobile phone;

FIG. 33 is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is a television device;

FIG. 34 is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is a notebook PC;

FIG. 35 is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is a digital camera;

FIG. 36 is a drawing showing an external appearance of a case in whichthe electronic device of the fourth embodiment is a digital videocamera;

FIG. 37 is a drawing briefly showing an equivalent circuit and loadsabout a path including a capacity constituting a unit of detection in anin-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device of a comparativeexample; and

FIG. 38 is a drawing showing a configuration example of electrodes, etc.in the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device of thecomparative example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained indetail based on drawings. In all the drawings for explaining theembodiments, the same parts are basically denoted by the same symbols,and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted. Moreover, in order tofacilitate understanding, cross-sectional hatching will be appropriatelyomitted. For the sake of explanation, as the directions constitutingplanes such as a touch detection area in a device, an in-planehorizontal direction is an X-direction, an in-plane perpendiculardirection is a Y-direction, a direction perpendicular to the plane of,for example, the touch detection area formed by the X-direction and theY-direction or the thickness direction of the device is a Z-direction.

<Outlines, Etc.>

Outlines of the configurations of a touch-sensor-equipped display deviceof the present embodiment are shown in later-described FIG. 5, FIG. 20,FIG. 23, etc. The touch-sensor-equipped display device of the presentembodiment is an in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display deviceapplied to a liquid-crystal display device. The touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device of the present embodiment reduces loads in the pathsincluding capacitors formed by intersections of shared electrodes anddetection electrodes by the configuration in which arrangements are madein the shapes of the shared electrodes, which are elements constitutinga display function and a touch-sensor function. Since the loads of thepaths are reduced, touch drive time and a touch detection period areshortened.

As the configuration in which the arrangements are made in the shapes ofthe shared electrodes, the touch-sensor-equipped display device of thepresent embodiment has a configuration provided with the plurality ofshared electrodes in necessary partial regions in a screen area andprovided with a plurality of common electrodes in other partial regionsas shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, etc. instead of a configuration in which theshared electrodes are provided in all the regions in the screen area.Moreover, as a drive method corresponding to the configuration of thearranged electrode shapes, the touch-sensor-equipped display device ofthe present embodiment has a configuration in which the states of theelectric potentials of the above-described plurality of sharedelectrodes and the plurality of common electrodes are suitablycontrolled in a touch detection period as shown in later-described FIG.8, etc. As a result, the loads of the above-described paths are reduced.

Comparative Example

FIG. 38 shows a configuration example of electrodes, etc. in anin-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device 9 of a comparativeexample of the present embodiment in order to understandably explain thepresent embodiment. The in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 9 of the comparative example has a configuration in which aplurality (assumed to be M) of drive electrodes Tx corresponding to thedrive electrodes Tx of above-described FIG. 37 are built in a panel unitthereof. The drive electrodes Tx are shared electrodes, which integrateand share common electrodes for liquid-crystal display and driveelectrodes for touch drive. As a drive method corresponding to anin-cell type, the method in which a display period and a touch detectionperiod are driven by time division is used for the in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device 9 of the comparative example.

In the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device 9 of thecomparative example, in a screen area AG on an XY-plane of a panel unitthereof, the plurality of drive electrodes Tx are formed to be parallelto the X-direction, and a plurality of detection electrodes Rx areformed to be parallel to the Y-direction. Capacitors which respectivelyserve as units of detection are formed by the intersections of the pairsof the drive electrodes Tx and the detection electrodes Rx. The screenarea AG is an area in which a display area Ad and a touch detection areaAs are overlapped with each other.

In the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device 9 of thecomparative example, the Y-direction width of the screen area AG isdivided into a plurality of parts to form the M drive electrodes Tx (Mis a number). Each of the drive electrodes Tx is formed as a rectangularflat-plate-like block which has a constant Y-direction width of h0 andis long in the X-direction. FIG. 38 shows the M drive electrodes Tx as adrive electrode Tx1 to a drive electrode TxM. FIG. 38 shows an examplein which M=16. The plurality of detection electrodes Rx are formed ofthin wirings, and the disposing pitch thereof in the X-direction isconstant.

Ends of the plurality of drive electrodes Tx of the screen area AG areconnected to a drive unit 910 provided in a peripheral area of thescreen area AG. The drive unit 910 is a circuit unit including the touchdrive unit 950 of FIG. 37 and subjects the plurality of drive electrodesTx in the screen area AG to touch drive and common drive.

The configuration of the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 9 of the comparative example is, in other words, a configurationin which a common electrode formed on the entire surface of a displayarea of a conventional liquid-crystal display panel unit is divided intoa plurality of parts in the Y-direction, which serve as the plurality ofdrive electrodes Tx which can be individually driven.

Embodiment 1A

A touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of an embodiment 1A of thepresent invention will be explained by using FIG. 1 to FIG. 12, etc. Thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 is an in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device, which is particularly applied to aliquid-crystal display device. As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, etc., thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1A has aconfiguration in which arrangements are made in the shapes of sharedelectrodes of a screen area AG with respect to the configuration of theelectrodes of the in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device 9 ofthe comparative example of FIG. 38. As the configuration, the embodiment1A has a plurality of shared electrodes Tc and a plurality of commonelectrodes COM, which are divided in the Y-direction of the screen areaAG, and has a configuration in which the shared electrodes Tc and thecommon electrodes COM are alternately disposed in the Y-direction. Byvirtue of this configuration, the area of the intersecting portions ofthe shared electrodes Tc, which serve as drive electrodes, and thedetection electrodes Rx is small compared with the comparative example;therefore, loads in the paths including the capacitors formed by theintersections of the shared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodesRx are reduced.

Moreover, in the embodiment 1A, as shown in later-described FIG. 8, as adrive method for the configuration of the above-described electrodeshapes, in a touch detection period Ks, the common electrodes COM of thescreen area AG are controlled to an electric potential using a fixedcommon voltage Vcom. The drive method of the embodiment 1A is referredto as a first drive method for the sake of explanation. By virtue ofthis configuration, the above-described loads in the paths are reduced.

[Plane Configuration of Panel Unit]

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a configuration of an XY-plane of a panelunit in the touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1A.Schematically, the panel unit of the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 has a TFT substrate 11 of a diagram (a) in FIG. 1 and a colorfilter board 12 of a diagram (b) in FIG. 1, which are two boardstructures overlapped with each other in the Z-direction. The diagram(a) in FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the TFT substrate 11, whichis a first board structure disposed in a Z-direction lower side,includes the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM. Thediagram (b) in FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the color filterboard 12, which is a second board structure disposed in a Z-directionupper side, includes the detection electrodes Rx. Details of the panelunit will be shown with reference to later-described FIG. 6, etc.

The XY-plane of the panel unit has the screen area AG and a peripheralarea Af including upper/lower/left/right areas outside of the screenarea AG. The screen area AG is an area including a display area Ad of adisplay function and a touch detection area As of a touch-sensorfunction and an area in which the display area Ad and the touchdetection area As are overlapped with each other in the Z-direction. Theshapes of the panel unit and the screen area AG are rectangles which arelong in the Y-direction in FIG. 1.

In the screen area AG, in the TFT substrate 11 side, instead of thedrive electrodes Tx of the comparative example, the M shared electrodesTc and the M+1 common electrodes COM parallel to the X-direction areformed. In the screen area AG, on the color filter board 12 side, theplurality (assumed to be N; N is a number) of detection electrodes Rxparallel to the Y-direction are formed. The M shared electrodes Tc areshown as a shared electrode Tc1 to a shared electrode TcM sequentiallyfrom the upper side of the Y-direction. The M+1 shared electrodes Tc areshown as a common electrode COM_1 to a common electrode COM_M+1sequentially from the upper side of the Y-direction. The N detectionelectrodes Rx are shown as a detection electrode Rx1 to a detectionelectrode RxN sequentially from the left side of the X-direction. Notethat FIG. 1 shows an example in which M=16.

The shared electrodes Tc are electrodes which integrate commonelectrodes for common drive constituting the display function ofliquid-crystal display and drive electrodes for touch drive constitutingthe touch-sensor function and are shared by these functions. The commonelectrodes COM are electrodes for common drive constituting the displayfunction of liquid-crystal display. In the screen area AG, the pluralityof shared electrodes Tc are extended to be parallel to the X-directionand juxtaposed in the Y-direction interposing the common electrodes COMtherebetween, and the plurality of common electrodes COM are extended tobe parallel to the X-direction and juxtaposed in the Y-directioninterposing the shared electrodes Tc therebetween. The plurality ofdetection electrodes Rx are extended to be parallel to the Y-directionand are juxtaposed in the X-direction. The shared electrodes Tc and thecommon electrodes COM intersect with the detection electrodes Rx withpredetermined distances in the Z-direction, wherein they are orthogonalto each other particularly in the X-direction and the Y-direction.

In the peripheral area Af, wirings, circuit units, etc. connected to theelectrodes of the screen area AG are formed. In the diagram (a) of FIG.1, the TFT substrate 11 has a liquid-crystal display drive unit 30 and adrive unit 50 as circuit units mounted in the X-direction on left/rightboth sides of the peripheral area Af. The liquid-crystal display driveunit 30 is a circuit unit which drives pixels of the display area Ad andincludes a gate-line drive unit 151, etc. of FIG. 3, which will bedescribed later. The drive unit 50 is a circuit unit which is connectedto the plurality of shared electrodes Tc and the plurality of commonelectrodes COM of the screen area AG and drives these electrodes. Thedrive unit 50 carries out common drive and touch drive of the pluralityof shared electrodes Tc and common drive of the plurality of sharedelectrodes COM.

[Mounting Configuration Example]

FIG. 2 includes diagrams (a) and (b) showing a mounting configurationexample of the touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 corresponding toFIG. 1. The diagram (a) in FIG. 2 shows the mounting configurationexample of the TFT substrate 11 side, and the diagram (b) in FIG. 2shows the mounting configuration example of the color filter board 12side. In the TFT substrate 11, the plurality of shared electrodes Tc andthe plurality of common electrodes COM of the screen area AG areconnected to the drive unit 50 and a first IC chip 211 through aplurality of wirings 21. A region 251 and a region 252, which areregions in X-direction on left/right both sides of the peripheral areaAf, show the regions in which the wirings 21, the drive unit 50, etc.are mounted.

The TFT substrate 11 has the first IC chip 211, which is mounted in theY-direction lower-side area of the peripheral area Af, and a flexibleprinted board 230, which is connected to the first IC chip 211. Thefirst IC chip 211 is mounted on a glass substrate constituting the TFTsubstrate 11. A second IC chip 212 is mounted on the flexible printedboard 230. The flexible printed board 230 has a first terminal connectedto the first IC chip 211 in the TFT substrate 11 side, a second terminalconnected to the plurality of detection electrodes Rx in the colorfilter board 12 side, and a third terminal serving as an interface withan external electronic device. Note that the term “I/F” is anabbreviation of “interface”.

In the color filter board 12, the plurality of detection electrodes Rxof the screen area AG are connected to the terminal of the flexibleprinted board 230 through a plurality of wirings 22 in the Y-directionlower-side area of the peripheral area Af. The detection electrodes Rxand the wirings 22 may be considered to be an integral electrode orwiring.

On the first IC chip 211, for example, a control part of thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1, part of the drive unit 50, acircuit unit for liquid-crystal display, etc. are mounted. On the secondIC chip 212, circuit units such as a touch detection part 60 oflater-described FIG. 3 are mounted. The first IC chip 211 and the secondIC chip 212 are connected and synchronized with each other through theflexible printed board 230. The touch-sensor-equipped display device 1subjects the first IC chip 211 and the second IC chip 212 to synchronouscontrol.

The wirings 21 formed in the region 251 and the region 252 of theperipheral area Af are connected to X-direction left/right both-sideends of the plurality of shared electrodes Tc and the plurality ofcommon electrodes COM of the screen area AG. The wirings 21 of theregion 251 and the wirings 21 of the region 252 have left/rightsymmetric shapes. Mutually the same signals and voltages are applied tothe shared electrodes Tc from the X-direction left/right both-side endsthrough the wirings 21. Mutually the same signals and voltages areapplied to the common electrodes COM from the X-direction left/rightboth-side ends through the wirings 21.

Note that the configuration is not limited to the configuration in whichthe shared electrodes Tc, etc. are driven from the X-directionleft/right both sides of the above-described screen area AG (alsoreferred to as a both-side drive configuration for the sake ofexplanation), but may be a configuration in which the shared electrodesTc, etc. are driven only from one of the X-direction left/right sides ofthe screen area AG (also referred to as a one-side drive configurationfor the sake of explanation). The both-side drive configuration has anadvantage that touch drive time and a touch detection period can beshortened compared with those of the one-side drive configuration. Theone-side drive configuration has an advantage that the mountingconfiguration of circuit units, etc. can be simplified as compared withthat of the both-side drive configuration.

In the case of the both-side drive configuration, bordered by theX-direction center of the screen area AG, the signals input from theleft-side ends of the shared electrodes Tc are used for touch detectionin the left-side region thereof, and the signals input from theright-side ends of the shared electrodes Tc are used for touch detectionin the right-side region. In the both-side drive configuration, overallpaths are shortened as compared with the one-side drive configurationsince the paths of signals can be separately used in the above-describedleft/right regions. Therefore, in the both-side drive configuration, thetouch drive time and the touch detection period can be shortened.

[Functional Block Configuration and Electronic Device]

FIG. 3 shows a functional block configuration of thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1A and aconfiguration of an electronic device 3 provided with thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1. The touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1 has a panel unit 5 and a circuit unit 6. The panel unit5 includes the above-described TFT substrate 11 and the color filterboard 12. The circuit unit 6 includes a control unit 200, a drive unit50, a touch detection part 60, the gate-line drive unit 151, asource-line drive unit 152, etc. The gate-line drive unit 151 and thesource-line drive unit 152 are circuit units which compose theabove-described liquid-crystal display drive unit 30. In the drawing,the panel unit 5 and the circuit unit 6 are separated from each other;however, the circuit unit 6 can be mounted on the panel unit 5 like theexample of FIG. 2. Modes in which parts of the circuit unit 6 arearbitrarily integrated or separated can be employed.

The control unit 200 is a control part of the touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1, and the drawing shows a configuration example in whicha control part of the touch-sensor function and a control part of thedisplay function are integrated into one. The control unit 200synchronously controls the touch-sensor function and the displayfunction. The control unit 200 works together with a control part 91 ofthe electronic device 3 via an input/output I/F part 93 and controls thetouch-sensor function and the display function based on instructionsfrom the control part 91. The control unit 200 gives control signals ofcommon drive and control signals of touch drive to the drive unit 50 andreceives touch detection information from the touch detection part 60.Moreover, the control unit 200 gives drive control signals to thegate-line drive unit 151, the source-line drive unit 152, etc. based onvideo signals, timing signals, and control instruction information fromthe control part 91. Moreover, the control unit 200 transmits the touchdetection information to the control part 91 as a report.

The gate-line drive unit 151 subjects a group of gate lines GL of theTFT substrate 11 to scanning drive by scanning signals. Insynchronization with scanning of the gate lines GL, the source-linedrive unit 152 gives data signals to a group of source lines SL of theTFT substrate 11. The present embodiment is about an in-cell type andhas the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM on the TFTsubstrate 11; therefore, the circuit unit for common drive ofliquid-crystal display is integrated in the drive unit 50.

The drive unit 50 includes a touch drive unit 51, a common drive unit52, a scanning circuit unit 53, etc., shown in later-described FIG. 9,etc. Based on control instructions from the control unit 200, the driveunit 50 drives the plurality of shared electrodes Tc and the pluralityof common electrodes COM of the screen area AG while synchronizing thetouch drive unit 51 and the common drive unit 52 by time division. Thetouch drive unit 51 is a circuit unit which carries out touch drive ofthe touch-sensor function and carries out touch drive by scanning driveby causing the shared electrodes Tc to function as drive electrodes inthe touch detection period Ks shown in later-described FIG. 8. Thecommon drive unit 52 is a circuit unit which carries out common drivecorresponding to the display function of liquid-crystal display andcarries out common drive together with the common electrodes COM bycausing the shared electrodes Tc to function as common electrodes in thedisplay period Kd shown in later-described FIG. 8.

The touch detection part 60 includes a detection circuit unit 61, aposition calculating part 62, etc. The touch detection part 60 receivesinputs from the plurality of detection electrodes Rx of the screen areaAG of the color filter board 12 by the detection circuit unit 61 at thetiming following the touch drive by the drive unit 50 and detects thesignals as touch detection signals Sr. Then, the touch detection part 60carries out a process of calculating the presence/absence, position,etc. of a touch in the screen area AG by the position calculating part62 by using the touch detection signals Sr, acquiring them as touchdetection information, and outputting the information.

The detection circuit unit 61 includes, for example, an amplifier, arectifier, an analog/digital converter, etc. The detection circuit unit61 receives inputs of, for example, signals from the detectionelectrodes Rx, amplifies and rectifies the signals, and subjects thesignals to analog/digital conversion, thereby acquiring them as thetouch detection signals Sr. The position calculating part 62 calculatesthe detailed presence/absence, position, etc. of the touch in the touchdetection area As by using the plurality of touch detection signals Srcorresponding to the plurality of units of detection of the touchdetection area As obtained by the detection circuit unit 61 and acquiresthe result thereof as the touch detection information.

The electronic device 3 includes the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1, the control part 91, a storage part 92, the input/output I/Fpart 93, an input device 94, an output device 95, a communication I/Fpart 96, buses, other unshown power source parts, etc. The control part91 carries out control processing of the electronic device 3. Theinput/output I/F part 93 is connected to the touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1 and carries out interface processing thereof. Thecontrol part 91, for example, receives inputs of video signals fromoutside or generates video signals therein and stores the signals in thestorage part 92. The control part 91 gives the video signals, timingsignals, and control instruction information to the control unit 200 ofthe touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 via the input/output I/F part93. The control part 91 acquires a report of the touch detectioninformation from the control unit 200 of the touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1 via the input/output I/F part 93.

[Pixels of Liquid-Crystal Display Device]

FIG. 4 shows a configuration of an equivalent circuit of a pixel in aliquid-crystal display device of a thin-film transistor (TFT) type usedin the panel unit 5 of the embodiment 1A. In the panel unit of theliquid-crystal display device, the pixel is formed to correspond to eachof the intersecting portions of the plurality of gate lines GL parallelto the X-direction and the plurality of source lines SL parallel to theY-direction. The pixel has a TFT element 35, which is a switch element,a pixel electrode 36, and a storage capacitor 37. A gate terminal “g” ofthe TFT element 35 is connected to the gate line GL, a source terminal“s” is connected to the source line SL, and a drain terminal “d” isconnected to the pixel electrode 36 and a first-side terminal of thestorage capacitor 36. The gate lines GL serve as scanning lines forselecting the pixels of the display area Ad. The source lines SL serveas data lines for giving display data to the pixels of the display areaAd. The data lines are also referred to as signal lines. An electrode onthe opposite side of the pixel electrode 36 and a second-side terminalof the storage capacitor 36 are commonly connected among the pixels ascommon electrodes 38. The common electrodes 38 are configured by thefunction as common electrodes among the common electrodes COM and theshared electrodes Tc in the panel unit 5 of the embodiment 1A.

[Electrode Configuration of Screen Area]

FIG. 5 shows a configuration of an XY-plane related to the electrodes ofthe screen area AG in the touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of theembodiment 1A. In FIG. 5, the above-described both-side driveconfiguration is used; however, omissions are made in the illustrationso that the wirings 21 are connected only on the left side in theX-direction.

The configuration of the electrodes of the screen area AG of theembodiment 1A corresponds to a configuration in which the plurality ofdrive electrodes Tx of the screen area AG in the in-cell-typetouch-sensor-equipped display device 9 of the comparative example ofFIG. 38 are divided into the plurality of shared electrodes Tc and theplurality of common electrodes COM, and the shared electrodes Tc and thecommon electrodes COM are alternately disposed in the Y-direction. Theplurality of shared electrodes Tc and the plurality of common electrodesCOM in the screen area AG are formed in the same layer in theZ-direction.

The drive electrodes Tx having the Y-direction width h0 in thecomparative example are divided into the shared electrodes Tc having awidth ht and the common electrodes COM having a width hc in theembodiment 1A. The plurality of shared electrodes Tc have theY-direction width of ht, which is constant. The plurality of commonelectrodes COM have the Y-direction width of hc, which is constant. Inthe embodiment 1A, the width ht of the shared electrodes Tc and thewidth hc of the common electrodes COM are mutually the same. TheX-direction size and Y-direction size of the screen area AG of theembodiment 1A are assumed to be the same as the sizes of the screen areaAG of the comparative example. “M” which is the number of the sharedelectrodes Tc of the embodiment 1A is the same as “M” which is thenumber of the drive electrodes Tx of the comparative example.

In the embodiment 1A, the plurality of shared electrodes Tc and theplurality of common electrodes COM are formed by dividing theY-direction width of the region of the screen area AG in the XY-planeinto a plurality of regions by the predetermined width ht and width hc.For example, when the Y-direction width of the screen area AG is dividedinto 2M+1 regions, the M shared electrodes Tc and the M+1 commonelectrodes COM are formed. As a result of this division, the pluralityof shared electrodes Tc and the plurality of common electrodes COM areformed as rectangular flat-plate-like blocks which are long in theX-direction. The shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COMadjacent to each other in the Y-direction are juxtaposed with shortintervals and electrically separated from each other. Between the sharedelectrode Tc and the common electrode COM adjacent to each other in theY-direction, for example, between the shared electrode Tc1 and thecommon electrode COM_2, a slit corresponding to the above-describedshort interval is disposed. In this manner, the shared electrode Tc andthe common electrode COM adjacent to each other in the Y-direction areelectrically separated from each other. 501 of FIG. 5 represents theabove-described slit, and FIG. 5 shows an example of the positions wherethe slits 501 are disposed.

The Y-direction disposing pitch of the plurality of shared electrodes Tcand the plurality of common electrodes COM is denoted by p2, which isconstant. The disposing pitch of the shared electrode Tc and the commonelectrode COM adjacent to each other in the Y-direction is denoted byp1, which is constant. The Y-direction width ht of the shared electrodeTc and the Y-direction width hc of the common electrode COM are largerthan the X-direction width of the thin wiring of the detection electrodeRx. The detection electrodes Rx, for example, have a configurationsimilar to that of the detection electrodes Rx of the comparativeexample. The detection electrodes Rx have the shapes of linear thinwirings having a constant width. The X-direction disposing pitch of theplurality of detection electrodes Rx is denoted by p3, which isconstant.

The shared electrodes Tc, the common electrodes COM, and the detectionelectrodes Rx are formed of, for example, later-described ITO.

The capacitors serving as units of detection U are formed by theintersections of the pairs of the shared electrodes Tc and the detectionelectrodes Rx. The pairs of the shared electrodes Tc and the detectionelectrodes Rx have intersecting portions c1 in an XY planar view sincethe electrodes mutually intersect with a predetermined distancetherebetween in the Z-direction. The intersecting portion c1 is a regionin which the shared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx areoverlapped with each other in the Z-direction and, in FIG. 5, is part ofthe thin wiring of the detection electrode Rx. Similarly, the pairs ofthe common electrodes COM and the detection electrodes Rx haveintersecting portions c2 in the XY planar view. The intersecting portionc2 is a region in which the common electrode COM and the detectionelectrode Rx are overlapped with each other in the Z-direction and, inFIG. 5, also is part of the thin wiring of the detection electrode Rx.

A region in the vicinity of the intersecting portion c1 of the sharedelectrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx is a region in which anelectric field is formed between the region of the shared electrode Tc,which is on the lower side in the Z-direction, and the region of thedetection electrode Rx, which is on the upper side in the Z-direction,and touch detection is enabled by the capacitor formed to correspond tothis electric field. The electric field formed in the region in thevicinity of the intersecting portion c1 includes the electric fieldsformed between the regions of the shared electrode Tc which are on theleft and right of the intersecting portion c1 in the X-direction and arenot overlapped with the detection electrode Rx and the region of thethin wiring of the detection electrode Rx of the intersecting portionc1. In the present specification, the capacitors formed to correspond tothe vicinities of the above-described intersecting portions c1 of theshared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx and the regions inwhich touch detection can be carried out by the capacitors are definedas the units of detection U. The capacitors serving as the units ofdetection U correspond to the capacitors Cx serving as the units ofdetection Ux in FIG. 37 of the comparative example. Note that, in FIG.5, each of the units of detection U is shown as an approximately squareregion of which center is at the intersecting portion c1. In theconfiguration of the electrodes of the panel unit 5, the plurality ofunits of detection U in the screen area AG are disposed so as to formapproximately square lattices when the center points thereof aremutually connected.

In the panel unit 5 of the embodiment 1A, by virtue of theabove-described configuration divided into the shared electrodes Tc andthe common electrodes COM, the area of the intersecting portion c1 ofthe shared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx is smaller thanthe area of the intersecting portion of the drive electrode Tx and thedetection electrode Rx of the comparative example of FIG. 38. The widthht of the shared electrode Tc of the embodiment 1A is, for example,about ½ with respect to the width h0 of the drive electrode Tx of thecomparative example, and, accordingly, the area of the intersectingportion c1 is also about ½.

Because of the above-described configuration of the shared electrodesTc, the panel unit 5 of the embodiment 1A newly has the intersectingportions c2 of the common electrodes COM and the detection electrodes Rxas the intersecting portions of the detection electrodes Rx. In theembodiment 1A, the area of the intersecting portion c2 of the commonelectrode COM and the detection electrode Rx is the same as the area ofthe intersecting portion c1 of the shared electrode Tc and the detectionelectrode Rx.

In the panel unit 5 of the embodiment 1A, the load in the vicinity ofthe intersecting portion c1 is low since the area of the above-describedintersecting portion c1 of the shared electrode Tc and the detectionelectrode Rx is small. Moreover, the loads of the path parts in thescreen area AG including the intersecting portions c1, the sharedelectrodes Tc, and the detection electrodes Rx are low. Therefore, inthe embodiment 1A, the touch drive time of the touch drive of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the touch detection period including the touch drivetime of the plurality of shared electrodes Tc of the screen area AG canbe shortened.

Note that FIG. 5 shows a configuration example in which the first commonelectrode COM_1 is provided on the Y-direction uppermost side of thescreen area AG, and the M+1 common electrode COM_M+1 is provided on theY-direction lowermost side of the screen area AG. Since the commonelectrodes COM are disposed in the Y-direction upper/lower both sides ofthe shared electrode Tc, the characteristics of each of the sharedelectrodes Tc in the screen area AG and the characteristics, etc. of theloads of paths are equalized. The configuration is not limited to thisconfiguration example, but may be a configuration in which the sharedelectrode Tc is disposed in the Y-direction uppermost side of the screenarea AG or a configuration in which the shared electrode Tc is disposedin the Y-direction lowermost side of the screen area AG.

[Cross-Sectional Configuration of Panel unit]

FIG. 6 shows a configuration of a schematic XZ cross section of thepanel unit 5 corresponding to a line of d1-d2 of FIG. 5. This crosssection particularly shows a cross section corresponding to a locationwhere the shared electrode Tc is present. The cross sectioncorresponding to a location where the common electrode COM is present isalso similar to FIG. 6. “601” represents an image of the capacity whichserves as the unit of detection U formed by the intersection of theshared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration of a schematic YZ cross section of thepanel unit 5 corresponding to a line d3-d4 of FIG. 5. This cross sectionparticularly shows a cross section corresponding to a location where thedetection electrode Rx is present.

In FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the panel unit 5 is a liquid-crystal display panelunit corresponding to the in-cell type in which the shared electrodesTc, the common electrodes COM, and the detection electrodes Rx arebuilt. The panel unit 5 has the TFT substrate 11, which is the firstboard structure on a back surface side of the Z-direction; the colorfilter board 12, which is the second board structure on a front surfaceside; and a liquid crystal layer 13, which is a display function layersealed therebetween. Publicly-known polarizing plates, etc. areconnected to a rear surface s3 and a front surface s4 of the panel unit5, and a publicly-known backlight, etc. are connected to the rearsurface s3; however, illustration thereof is omitted.

The liquid crystal layer 13 is a layer in which liquid crystals aresealed and the orientations thereof are controlled and is a layercontrolled by the pixels of the display area Ad for displaying images.The liquid crystal layer 13 has a lower surface s5 and an upper surfaces6 in the Z-direction on which publicly-known oriented films are formed;however, illustration thereof is omitted. Moreover, the liquid crystallayer 13 includes a sealing part in the region corresponding to theperipheral area Af outside of the screen area AG; however, illustrationthereof is omitted. As a drive method of the liquid crystal layer 13,the present embodiment shows a case in which fringe field switching(FFS: Fringe Field Switching), which is a type of transverse electricfield types, is applied; however, the type is not limited thereto, andvarious types can be applied. In the case of FFS, in the TFT substrate11, the shared electrodes Tc, which function as common electrodes, andthe pixel electrodes 36 are provided to be overlapped with each othervia a dielectric layer 16 therebetween in the Z-direction perpendicularto the surfaces of the board. Based on control of voltages from thecircuit unit 6 with respect to the shared electrodes Tc, the pixelelectrodes 36, etc., the orientations of the liquid crystals of theliquid crystal layer 13 are controlled. In FFS, electric fields whichare in oblique directions mainly with respect to the board surfaces orhave parabolic shapes, i.e., so-called fringe electric fields aregenerated.

In the TFT substrate 11, a TFT layer 113, an electrode layer 14, thedielectric layer 16, a pixel electrode layer 15, etc. are formed on aglass substrate 111. The TFT layer 113 briefly shows a layer in whichThe TFT elements 35, the gate lines GL, the source lines SL, etc. asshown in FIG. 4 are formed on the glass substrate 111. In the displayarea Ad, the function of the plurality of common electrodes COM and theplurality of shared electrodes Tc in the electrode layer 14 as commonelectrodes is to carry out drive so as to achieve a common state. Thepixel electrode layer 15 shows a layer in which the pixel electrodes 36of individual electrode portions corresponding to a matrix of the pixelsof the display area Ad are formed. In the display area Ad, the pixelelectrodes 36 are driven so as to obtain the states of the respectivepixels.

The electrode layer 14 shows a layer in which the shared electrodes Tcand the common electrodes COM are formed. In the cross section of FIG.6, only the shared electrode Tc is extending in the X-direction. In thecross section of FIG. 7, the common electrodes COM and the sharedelectrodes Tc are alternately juxtaposed in the Y-direction. Theelectrode layer 14 includes the part in which the ends of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the wirings 21 are mutually connected and the part inwhich the ends of the common electrodes COM and the wirings 21 aremutually connected in the peripheral area Af. As a mode of theconnection of the electrodes of the screen area AG and the wirings ofthe peripheral area Af, for example, a mode using Z-direction layerstacking of the ends of the electrodes and the ends of the wirings canbe employed.

In the color filter board 12, a color filter layer 114 and a detectionelectrode layer 17 are formed on a glass substrate 112. The color filterlayer 114 briefly shows a layer on which color filters of respectivecolors, a light shielding film, an overcoat film, etc. are formed. Thecolor filter layer 114 is, for example, formed on the side closer to theupper surface s6 of the liquid crystal layer 13 in the Z-direction. Notethat, in the peripheral area Af, for example, the light shielding filmis formed. The detection electrode layer 17 is a layer in which thedetection electrodes Rx are formed and is formed, for example, on theside closer to the front surface s4 of the color filter board 11 in theZ-direction. In the cross section of FIG. 6, the cross sections of thethin wirings of the detection electrodes Rx are disposed at a constantpitch p3 in the X-direction. In the cross section of FIG. 7, the thinwiring of the detection electrode Rx is extending in the Y-direction.The detection electrode layer 17 includes the part in which the ends ofthe detection electrodes Rx and the wirings 22 are mutually connected inthe peripheral area Af.

In the embodiment 1A, the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodesCOM of the above-described electrode layer 14 and the detectionelectrodes Rx of the detection electrode layer 17 are formed of avisible-light-permeable electrically conductive material such as anindium tin oxide (ITO: Indium Tin Oxide). In another embodiment, theelectrode layer 14 and the detection electrode layer 17 are not limitedto ITO, but, for example, may be formed of a metal material having alower resistance than that of ITO or may be formed of a combination ofITO and the low-resistance metal material.

The usable structure of the cross section of the panel unit 5 of thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 is not limited to theabove-described structure. The cross-sectional views are schematic; and,upon mounting, for example, the Z-direction thickness of the liquidcrystal layer 13 is smaller than the thickness of, for example, the TFTsubstrate 11, and other dimensions and ratios are also according tomounting.

[Drive Method and Drive Period]

FIG. 8 shows a timing chart of various signals and voltages as aconfiguration example of a drive method and a drive period in thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1A, etc. Theconfiguration example of the drive method and the drive period of FIG. 8shows a configuration example of the drive method of time division ofthe display period Kd and the touch detection period Ks in a frameperiod F and a drive period corresponding thereto.

The frame period F is a period having a predetermined length fordisplaying frame images corresponding to liquid-crystal display. Thedisplay period Kd is a period including a pixel write period, etc. ofthe display function for frame-image display in the display area Ad. Thetouch detection period Ks is a period which ensures the time of touchdrive carried out by scanning drive of the plurality of sharedelectrodes Tc of the touch detection area As by the touch-sensorfunction and the time of touch detection from the plurality of detectionelectrodes Rx along with the touch drive. The single touch detectionperiod Ks includes the time of subjecting all the shared electrodes Tcin the plane of the touch detection area As to scanning drive.

In the present drive method, the display period Kd and the touchdetection period Ks are synchronized in each frame period F, and driveis carried out by time division in the order of the display period Kdand the touch detection period Ks in the frame period F. The presentdrive method ensures time so that the display period Kd having apredetermined length and the touch detection period Ks having apredetermined length are within the frame period F having a fixedlength. Note that the order of the display period Kd and the touchdetection period Ks may be reversed.

“Fsync” of the diagram (a) in FIG. 8 represents a signal which specifiesthe frame period F having the fixed length. “S_GL” of the diagram (b) inFIG. 8 represents a scanning signal from the gate-line drive unit 151 tothe gate line GL. “S_SL” of the diagram (c) in FIG. 8 represents a datasignal from the source-line drive unit 152 to the source line SL.“S_PIX” of the diagram (d) in FIG. 8 represents an example of pixelvoltages applied to the pixel electrode 36 depending on the transmissionrate of each pixel. A signal S_COM of the diagram (e1) in FIG. 8represents a signal and a voltage applied from the drive unit 50 to thecommon electrode COM in the case of the first drive method of theembodiment 1A. A signal S_COM of the diagram (e2) in FIG. 8 represents asignal and a voltage applied from the drive unit 50 to the commonelectrode COM in a case of a later-described second drive method. Asignal S_COM of the diagram (e3) in FIG. 8 represents a signal and avoltage applied from the drive unit 50 to the common electrode COM in acase of a later-described third drive method. “S_Tc” of the diagram (f)in FIG. 8 represents a touch drive signal St as an example of a signaland a voltage applied from the drive unit 50 to the shared electrode Tc.“S_Rx” of the diagram (g) in FIG. 8 represents a signal which is outputfrom the detection electrode Rx, input to the touch detection part 60,and detected as a touch detection signal Sr.

[First Drive Method]

The touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1A uses thebelow-described first drive method as a drive method of time divisionmatching the configuration of the above-described electrode shapes ofFIG. 5. The first drive method is shown by the signal S_COM, etc. of thediagram (e1) in FIG. 8. In the first drive method, first, in the displayperiod Kd, a voltage Vcom for common drive of liquid-crystal display isapplied to all of the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COMof the display area Ad. As a result, all of the shared electrodes Tc andthe common electrodes COM of the display area Ad are controlled to thestate of a common electric potential. In the first drive method, then,in the touch detection period Ks, the touch drive signal St issequentially applied to the shared electrodes Tc which are scanningtargets and units of scanning among the plurality of shared electrodesTc of the touch detection area As. Moreover, in the first drive method,along with the touch drive of the above-described shared electrodes Tc,the voltage Vcom which is the same as that in the display period Kd isapplied to the plurality of common electrodes COM of the touch detectionarea As. The loads of the above-described paths are reduced by the firstdrive method.

A detailed operation example of the first drive method of the embodiment1A will be described below. In relation to the signal S_COM of thediagram (e1) in FIG. 8 and the signal S_Tc of the diagram (f) in FIG. 8,in the display period Kd, the drive unit 50 applies the signal using thevoltage Vcom to all of the common electrodes COM and all of the sharedelectrodes Tc of the display area Ad by the common drive unit 52 and thescanning circuit unit 53. Note that the voltage Vcom is specifically avoltage specified in accordance with the drive method of liquid-crystaldisplay such as above-described FFS.

Then, in relation to the signal S_Tc of the diagram (f) in FIG. 8, inthe touch detection period Ks, the drive unit 50 carries out touch driveby scanning drive of generating the touch drive signals St using apredetermined frequency by the touch drive unit 51 and the scanningcircuit unit 53 and sequentially applying the signals to the pluralityof shared electrodes Tc in the touch detection area As. At the timingcorresponding to this touch drive, as the signal S_Rx of the diagram (g)in FIG. 8, the touch detection part 60 detects the touch detectionsignals Sr from the detection electrodes Rx.

Moreover, in relation to the signal S_COM of the diagram (e1) in FIG. 8,in the touch detection period Ks, the drive unit 50 applies the signalusing the voltage Vcom to all of the common electrodes COM of the screenarea AG by the common drive unit 52 and the scanning circuit unit 53. Inother words, the common electrodes COM are maintained to the electricpotential according to the fixed voltage Vcom in the frame period F. Asa result, loads become low in the vicinities of the above-describedintersecting portions c2 of the common electrodes COM and the detectionelectrodes Rx.

[Circuit Configuration of Drive Unit]

FIG. 9 shows a circuit configuration of the drive unit 50 correspondingto the first drive method in the embodiment 1A. The configuration ofFIG. 9 shows an example in which circuits and wirings of the drive unit50 are mounted in left-side and lower-side areas of the peripheral areaAf in the TFT substrate 11. FIG. 9 shows the above-described both-sidedrive configuration, in which circuits and wirings are mounted also in aright-side area of the peripheral area Af as well as the left-side area;however, illustration thereof is omitted. Also, illustration of circuitssuch as the liquid-crystal display drive unit 30 mounted in theperipheral area Af is omitted in FIG. 9. The screen area AG of FIG. 9shows a configuration example in which, sequentially from theY-direction upper side, the shared electrode Tc1, the common electrodeCOM_1, the shared electrode Tc2, the common electrode COM_2, etc., theshared electrode TcM, and the common electrode COM_M are disposed inthis order.

The drive unit 50 of FIG. 9 has the touch drive unit 51, the commondrive unit 52, the scanning circuit unit 53, and a signal selectingswitch part 54. The wirings 21 connected to the shared electrodes Tc andthe common electrodes COM include a wiring J1 and a wiring J2 in FIG. 9.Through the wiring J1, the touch drive signal St from the touch driveunit 51 is transmitted. The signal Sc of the voltage Vcom from thecommon drive unit 52 is applied to the wiring J2.

The touch drive unit 51 includes, as a signal voltage source, a voltagesource v1, which generates a predetermined direct-current voltage Vt forgenerating the touch drive signal St. The touch drive unit 51 generatespulses of the touch drive signal St using the predetermined frequency bya circuit such as a level shifter based on the voltage Vt from thevoltage source v1 and outputs the pulses to the wiring J1.

The common drive unit 52 includes, as a signal voltage source, a voltagesource v2, which generates the predetermined direct-current voltageVcom. The common drive unit 52 outputs the common-drive signal Sc usingthe voltage Vcom from the voltage source v2 to the wiring J2.

The drive unit 50 controls the timing of drive in accordance with apredetermined drive method by the scanning circuit unit 53. The scanningcircuit unit 53 is formed of a timing circuit for controlling the timingof drive including scanning drive and common drive upon touch drive, ashift register, etc. The scanning circuit unit 53 generates controlsignals in accordance with the control of the timing of the drive andoutputs the control signals to the signal selecting switch part 54. Thecontrol signals switch on/off, etc. of switch elements in the signalselecting switch part 54. The scanning circuit unit 53 of the embodiment1A outputs control signals TcSEL for controlling the shared electrodesTc.

The drive unit 50 can arbitrarily control the timing of operations suchas on and off of the switch elements in the signal selecting switch part54 by the scanning circuit unit 53. By virtue of this, for example,selection of the shared electrodes Tc of the scanning targets and unitsof scanning in the scanning drive of the plurality of shared electrodesTc in the screen area AG, the scanning order thereof, etc. can bearbitrarily controlled.

The signal selecting switch part 54 is provided between the sharedelectrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM of the screen area AG, thetouch drive unit 51, the common drive unit 52, and the scanning circuitunit 53. The signal selecting switch part 54 includes a plurality ofselecting switch parts SWA. Respective output terminals of the pluralityof selecting switch parts SWA are connected to the ends of thecorresponding shared electrodes Tc among the plurality of sharedelectrodes Tc of the screen area AG. The wiring J1 of the touch drivesignal St is connected to respective input terminals of the plurality ofselecting switch parts SWA. The wiring J2 of the signal Sc of thevoltage Vcom is connected to respective input terminals of the pluralityof selecting switch parts SWA and to respective ends of the plurality ofcommon electrodes COM of the screen area AG.

The signal selecting switch part 54 switches outputs of the signals andvoltages of the selecting switch parts SWA based on the control signalsTcSEL from the scanning circuit unit 53. Each of the selecting switchparts SWA carries out switching between the input of the touch drivesignal St from the wiring J1 and the input of the signal Sc from thewiring J2 to select one of the two inputs in accordance with the controlsignal TcSEL and outputs the signal to the shared electrode Tc. Each ofthe selecting switch parts SWA includes a first switch element SWa and asecond switch element SWb therein. The first switch element SWa has theinput terminal connected to the wiring J1, has the output terminalconnected to the shared electrode Tc, and has a control input terminalto which the control signal TcSEL is input. The second switch elementSWb has the input terminal connected to the wiring J2, has the outputterminal connected to the shared electrode Tc, and has a control inputterminal to which the control signal TcSEL is input. The control inputof the switch element SWb is connected so that the on-and-off logic isreversed with respect to the control input of the switch element SWa.

In the above-described circuit configuration of the drive unit 50, inthe display period Kd, for example, the control signals TcSEL are turnedoff to turn off the first switch elements SWa of the selecting switchparts SWA and turn on the second switch elements SWb. As a result, thesignal Sc using the voltage Vcom is applied to all the shared electrodesTc and the common electrodes COM of the display area Ad. In the touchdetection period Ks, the control signals TcSEL for the selecting switchparts SWA connected to the shared electrodes Tc serving as scanningtargets are turned on, and the control signals TcSEL for the selectingswitch parts SWA connected to the other shared electrodes Tc are turnedoff. As a result, the first switch elements SWa of the selecting switchparts SWA connected to the shared electrodes Tc serving as the scanningtargets are turned on, and the second switch elements SWb thereof areturned off. As a result, the touch drive signal St is sequentiallyapplied to the plurality of shared electrodes Tc of the touch detectionarea As.

[First Scanning Drive Method]

FIG. 10 shows a scanning drive method of the screen area AG in the touchdetection period Ks in the touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of theembodiment 1A and a scanning drive example thereof. The scanning drivemethod of the embodiment 1A is referred to as a first scanning drivemethod for the sake of explanation. In the first scanning drive method,as touch drive in the touch detection period Ks, the drive unit 50carries out scanning drive of sequentially applying the touch drivesignal St to the M shared electrodes Tc of the touch detection area Asone by one from the Y-direction upper side by using the scanning circuitunit 53. The scanning sc of the plurality of shared electrodes Tc in thescanning drive is carried out by using the same touch drive signal St.In the first scanning drive method, the single shared electrode Tc is ascanning target and a unit of scanning of each scanning drive.

In first scanning sc1 of the scanning sc of the touch detection area As,the drive unit 50 applies the touch drive signals St to ends of bothleft/right sides in the X-direction of the first shared electrode Tc1 atthe same time. Then, as second scanning sc2, the drive unit 50 appliesthe touch drive signals St to ends of both left/right sides in theX-direction of the second shared electrode Tc2 at the same time. As Mthscanning scM, the drive unit 50 similarly repeats the scanning sc andapplies the touch drive signals St to the ends of both left/right sidesin the X-direction of the Mth shared electrode TcM at the same time. Asdescribed above, in the first scanning drive method, every time theentire touch detection area As is scanned one time, the touch drive ofeach of the shared electrodes Tc is executed M times.

In the case of the first drive method of the embodiment 1A, upon theabove-described scanning of each of the shared electrodes Tc, all thecommon electrodes COM including the common electrodes COM adjacent to,from the Y-direction upper/lower sides, the shared electrode Tc servingas the scanning target are controlled so as to be at the electricpotential of the voltage Vcom of above-described FIG. 8. By virtue ofthis control, the loads of the path parts including the shared electrodeTc serving as the scanning target are reduced, and the touch detectionsensitivity of each of the units of detection U at the shared electrodeTc serving as the scanning target is increased.

Although not shown in the drawings, corresponding to the above-describedscanning drive, the touch detection part 60 detects, as the touchdetection signals, the signals transmitted through the plurality ofshared electrodes Tc of the touch detection area As and transmitted andoutput to the detection electrodes Rx through the capacitors of theunits of detection U. As a result, touch detection of all of the unitsof detection U in the touch detection area As is carried out. Thescanning order is not limited to the scanning order of FIG. 10, and thedrive unit 50 can carry out scanning in an optional order whileselecting optionally shared electrodes Tc in the screen area AG asscanning targets by using the above-described scanning circuit unit 53.

[Touch-sensor Device of Capacitive Type]

FIGS. 11A to 11C briefly show principles of the touch-sensor device ofthe capacitive type as a supplement. FIG. 11A shows a basic structure ofa touch-sensor device 400 of the capacitive type. FIG. 11B shows anequivalent circuit of FIG. 11A. FIG. 11C shows an example of a signaland a voltage upon touch drive and touch detection by the touch-sensordevice 400 of FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B. In FIG. 11A, in the touch-sensordevice 400, a capacitor C1 associated with the above-described unit ofdetection U and the capacitor Cx is formed at the electrode pair of thedrive electrode Tx and the detection electrode Rx disposed with adielectric substance DEL interposed therebetween. The touch-sensordevice 400 detects the state of presence/absence, etc. of a touch byutilizing a change in the capacitor C1 caused when a conductor such as afinger FNG is close to or in contact with the surface on the detectionelectrode Rx side.

The drive electrode Tx, which is a first end side of the capacitor C1 ofFIG. 11B, is connected to an alternating-current signal source ASS. Anode 401 connected to the detection electrode Rx, which is a second endside of the capacitor C1, is grounded via a resistance R and isconnected to a voltage detector DET. Upon touch drive, the touch drivesignal St, which is an input signal, is applied from thealternating-current signal source ASS to the drive electrode Tx. Withrespect to the touch drive signal St, which is the input signal, acurrent I1 flows via the capacitor C1 of the touch-sensor device 400.Then, based on the current I1, the touch detection signal Sr, which isan output signal, is detected by the voltage detector DET in thedetection electrode Rx side.

In FIG. 11C, the touch drive signal St, which is the input signal, is asignal of an alternating-current pulse of a predetermined frequency andvoltage Vt. In a case with no touch, i.e., in a state in which noconductor is close to or in contact with the detection electrode Rx inthe front surface side of the touch-sensor device 400, the voltage ofthe touch detection signal Sr, which is the output signal, is a voltageV1. In a case with a touch, i.e., in a state in which a conductor isclose to or in contact with the detection electrode Rx in the frontsurface side of the touch-sensor device 400, the voltage of the touchdetection signal Sr, which is the output signal, is a voltage V2.

In the case with no touch, as shown in FIG. 11B, along withcharge/discharge to/from the capacitor C1, the current I1 correspondingto the electrostatic capacity value of the capacitor C1 flows. As aresult, the voltage detected by the voltage detector DET is the voltageV1 of FIG. 11C. In the case with a touch, as shown in FIG. 11B, thecapacitor C2 formed by the conductor is additionally connected seriallyto the capacitor C1 as a result, and electric fields are correspondinglyreduced in this region. In this state, along with charge/dischargeto/from the capacitor C1 and the capacitor C2, the current I1 and thecurrent I2 corresponding to the respective electrostatic capacity valuesof the capacitor C1 and the capacitor C2 flow. As a result, the voltageof the node 401 in the detection electrode Rx side has a divided voltagedetermined by the values of the current I1 and the current I2corresponding to the electrostatic capacity values of the capacitor C1and the capacitor C2. In this case, the voltage detected by the voltagedetector DET is lower than the voltage V1 of the case with no touch asshown by the voltage V2 of FIG. 11C.

A circuit unit including the voltage detector DET amplifies, forexample, the voltage of the output signal input from the detectionelectrode Rx side and detects the voltage as the touch detection signalSr. The circuit unit including the voltage detector DET, for example,compares the voltage of the touch detection signal Sr with a thresholdvoltage Vth and, if the voltage is smaller than the threshold voltageVth, for example, like the voltage V2, detects the voltage as a statewith a touch.

[Effects, Etc.]

As described above, according to the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the embodiment 1A, the touch drive time and the touchdetection period can be shortened by reducing the loads in the pathsincluding the capacitors formed by the intersections of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory drawing for supplementing explanations abouteffects of the embodiment 1A and shows the loads in the path partsincluding the capacitors Cx formed by the intersections of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx. FIG. 12 shows an exampleof a single path part 1201 including a capacitor Ci and a unit ofdetection Ui serving as detection targets formed by the intersection ofan electrode pair of a shared electrode Tci, which is a touch drivetarget, and a detection electrode Rxi, which is a detection target. Thecapacitor Ci is formed in the vicinity of an intersecting portion c1 ofthe shared electrode Tci and the detection electrode Rxi. In FIG. 12,the capacitor Ci is shown by a round mark, and, as the unit of detectionUi, a part including the capacitor Ci is shown by a substantially squareshape.

In the path part 1201 in the above-described touch detection area As,the capacitor Ci and the unit of detection Ui of the intersectingportion c1, which are serving as a detection target for the signal whichis transmitted through the path part 1201, and, other than that,non-detection-target capacitors C0 and units of detection U0 at theplurality of intersecting portions c1, which are intermediate pathways,are present. For the signal which is transmitted through the path part1201 when the above-described capacitor Ci and the unit of detection Uiserve as detection targets, the units of detection U0 and the capacitorsC0 which are not the detection target of the path part 1201 work ascorresponding loads.

Upon scanning drive, the drive unit 50 applies the pulse of the touchdrive signal St to, for example, the left-side end of the sharedelectrode Tci. The pulse of the touch drive signal St is transmitted tothe X-direction right side through the shared electrode Tci andtransmitted to the detection electrode Rxi via the capacitor Ci of theunit of detection Ui. Then, the signal transmitted to the Y-directionlower side through the detection electrode Rxi is input to the touchdetection part 60, and the touch detection part 60 detects the signal asthe touch detection signal Sr.

In the path part 1201 including the shared electrode Tci, the capacitorCi of the unit of detection Ui, and the detection electrode Rxi, theload in the unit of detection Ui including the capacitor Ci, which isthe detection target, is reduced by making arrangements in theabove-described electrode shape, etc. in the embodiment 1A. Moreover,also in the capacitors C0 of the units of detection U0, which arepresent on the way of the path part 1201 other than the capacitor Ci ofthe unit of detection Ui, loads are reduced also by making arrangementsin the electrode shapes, etc. In the embodiment 1A, the loads in theabove-described path part 1201 are reduced; therefore, the touch drivetime related to the path part 1201 can be shortened. As well as theabove-described path part 1201, also in other path parts which passthrough the units of detection and capacitors at the other intersectingportions c1 in the screen area AG, the touch drive time can beshortened. Therefore, in the embodiment 1A, the touch detection periodKs including the touch drive time can be shortened.

Modification Examples

The embodiment 1A can be modified to the following modificationexamples. In the above-described configuration of FIG. 5, the width htof the shared electrodes Tc and the width hc of the common electrodesCOM are mutually the same, and the ratio of the widths is 1 to 1.Moreover, in the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the shared electrodes Tcand the common electrodes COM have the same flat-plate shapes. However,the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.5. The balance of the loads of the paths and touch detection sensitivitycan be designed by adjusting the width ht of the shared electrodes Tcand the width hc of the common electrodes COM of the embodiment 1A withrespect to the width h0 of the drive electrodes Tx of the comparativeexample.

FIG. 29A shows a first modification example. The first modificationexample has a configuration in which the width ht of the sharedelectrode Tc is larger than the width hc of the common electrode COM. Inthis configuration, the width ht of the shared electrode Tc isrelatively large, and the area of the intersecting portion c1 isrelatively large; therefore, touch detection sensitivity at the units ofdetection U formed by the capacitors formed in the vicinities of theintersecting portions c1 of the shared electrodes Tc and the detectionelectrodes Rx can be relatively increased.

FIG. 29B shows a second modification example. The second modificationexample has a configuration in which the width ht of the sharedelectrode Tc is smaller than the width hc of the shared electrode COM.In this configuration, the width ht of the shared electrode Tc isrelatively small, and the area of the intersecting portion c1 isrelatively small; therefore, the loads of the capacitors, which areformed in the vicinities of the intersecting portions c1 of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx, and the path partsincluding the capacitors can be caused to be relatively low.

FIG. 30A shows a third modification example. As the third modificationexample, each of the detection electrodes Rx has protruding electrodeportions 87 formed by thin wirings protruding to the both left/rightsides in the X-direction from a thin wiring part 86 extending in theY-direction. The protruding electrode portion 87 of the detectionelectrode Rx is preferred to have a shape of which area overlapped withthe shared electrode Tc in the Z-direction is small. The protrudingelectrode portion 87 is disposed, for example, in the Z-direction upperside of the common electrode COM. In the third modification example,electric fields are generated between the region of the shared electrodeTc between the detection electrodes Rx and the protruding electrodeportion 87 of the detection electrode Rx; therefore, touch detectionsensitivity can be increased. The protruding direction of the protrudingelectrode portions may be only one of the X-direction left/right sides.

FIG. 30B shows a fourth modification example. As the fourth modificationexample, the detection electrodes Rx have rectangular frame-likeprotruding electrode portions 88 in an XY planar view. An openingportion of the protruding electrode portion 88 is disposed in theZ-direction upper side of the region of the shared electrode Tc betweenthe detection electrodes Rx. In the fourth modification example,electric fields are generated through the opening portion between theregion of the shared electrode between the detection electrodes Rx andthe protruding electrode portion 88 of the detection electrode Rx;therefore, touch detection sensitivity can be increased. The protrudingdirection of the protruding electrode portion 88 may be both ofX-direction left/right sides.

Embodiment 1B

A touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of an embodiment 1B will beexplained with reference to FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, etc. In thetouch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the embodiment 1B, theconfiguration of the panel unit 5 is similar to the configuration ofFIG. 5, etc. of the embodiment 1A, and a drive method and theconfiguration of the circuit unit 6 are different. The embodiment 1Buses the second drive method as a drive method matching theconfiguration of the electrode shapes, etc. of FIG. 5.

[Second Drive Method]

The second drive method in the embodiment 1B is shown by the signalS_COM, etc. of above-described diagram (e2) in FIG. 8. In the seconddrive method, control of the common electrodes COM in the touchdetection period Ks is different from that of the first drive method. Inthe second drive method, the state of the common electrodes COM isswitched between two states, i.e., a state of the electric potentialusing the voltage Vcom and a high-impedance state by the drive unit 50.Note that, in FIG. 8, the high-impedance state is shown as “Hi-Z”.

In FIG. 8, an operation example of the second drive method is asdescribed below. First, the operation in the display period Kd and theoperation, etc. of the touch drive related to the signal S_Tc of thediagram (f) in FIG. 8 in the touch detection period Ks thereafter aresimilar to those of the first drive method of the embodiment 1A. In thetouch detection period Ks, in relation to the signal S_COM of thediagram (e2) in FIG. 8, based on the control signals from the scanningcircuit unit 53, the drive unit 50 switches all the common electrodesCOM in the screen area AG from the state of the voltage Vcom to thehigh-impedance state.

In the case of the second drive method, in the touch detection periodKs, which is shorter than the display period Kd, the state of the commonelectrodes COM is changed from the electric potential of the voltageVcom to the high-impedance state; as a result, the loads in thevicinities of the common electrodes COM and the detection electrodes Rxin the above-described paths can be reduced.

[Circuit Configuration of Drive Unit]

FIG. 13 shows a circuit configuration of the drive unit 50 correspondingto the second drive method in the embodiment 1B. As elements differentfrom those of the configuration of FIG. 9, in the configuration of FIG.13, the signal selecting switch part 54 has a plurality of selectingswitch parts SWB, which are connected to the plurality of commonelectrodes COM of the screen area AG, in addition to the plurality ofselecting switch parts SWA same as those of the embodiment 1A. Theselecting switch parts SWB are connected to the wiring J2 of the signalSc of the voltage Vcom and an insulating part J3. The scanning circuitunit 53 outputs control signals COMSEL for controlling the state of thecommon electrodes COM to the selecting switch parts SWB.

The drive unit 50 switches the plurality of common electrodes COM of thescreen area AG to the high-impedance state by switching the state of theplurality of selecting switch parts SWB of the signal selecting switchparts 54 to a state connected to the insulating part J3 by the scanningcircuit unit 53 in the touch detection period Ks.

The wiring J2 of the signal Sc is connected to input terminals of theplurality of selecting switch parts SWA and input terminals of theplurality of selecting switch parts SWB. The insulating part J3 includesan insulating part J3_1 to an insulating part J3_M respectivelyconnected to the selecting switch parts SWB. The insulating part J3_1 tothe insulating part J3_M are connected to input terminals of thecorresponding selecting switch parts SWB. Outputs of the plurality ofselecting switch parts SWB are connected to ends of the correspondingcommon electrodes COM among the plurality of common electrodes COM ofthe screen area AG.

Based on the control signals COMSEL from the scanning circuit unit 53,the signal selecting switch part 54 switches the outputs of the signalsand voltages of the selecting switch parts SWB. According to the controlsignal COMSEL, the selecting switch part SWB carries out switchingbetween a state of input of the signal Sc from the wiring J2 and a stateof connection with the insulating pat J3 and selects one of the twostates to obtain a state of output to the common electrode COM. Each ofthe selecting switch parts SWB includes a first switch element SWc and asecond switch element SWd therein. The first switch element SWc has aninput terminal connected to the wiring J2, an output terminal connectedto the common electrode COM, and a control input terminal to which thecontrol signal COMSEL is input. The second switch element SWd has aninput terminal connected to the insulating part J3, an output terminalconnected to the common electrode COM, and a control input terminal towhich the control signal COMSEL is input. The control input of theswitch element SWd is connected so that the on-and-off logic is reversedwith respect to the control input of the switch element SWc.

The insulating part J3 is an electrically non-connected part for causingthe state of the common electrode COM to the high-impedance state ofFIG. 8. If the state of connection with the insulating part J3 isselected as the selected state of the selecting switch part SWB by thecontrol signal COMSEL, the output state of the selecting switch part SWBbecomes the high-impedance state. As a result, the common electrode COMconnected to the selecting switch part SWB becomes the high-impedancestate. In this high-impedance state, the common electrode COM is anelectrically separated floating state.

[Shared-Electrode Output Unit]

FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of a shared-electrode output unit701, which is a circuit unit corresponding to the output to the singleshared electrode Tc in the drive unit 50 of the embodiment 1B. Theshared-electrode output unit 701 has a selecting switch part SWA of FIG.13. In accordance with the control signal TcSEL, the shared-electrodeoutput unit 701 selects one from the two inputs, i.e., the input of thetouch drive signal St using the voltage Vt from the wiring J1 and theinput of the signal Sc using the voltage Vcom from the wiring J2 by theselecting switch part SWA and outputs the signal as a signal S_Tc to theshared electrode Tc.

The selecting switch part SWA has the switch element SWa connected tothe wiring J1, the switch element SWb connected to the wiring J2, and aNOT circuit 711 connected to the line of the control signal TcSEL. Theswitch element SWa and the switch element SWb are formed of CMOSswitches, etc. The control signal TcSEL from the scanning circuit unit53 is input to the NOT circuit 711, and the output thereof is connectedto complementary control input terminals of the switch element SWa andthe switch element SWb. The NOT circuit 711 outputs a logically invertedsignal of the on and off of the control signal TcSEL.

The switch element SWa has an input terminal to which the touch drivesignal St based on the voltage Vt from the wiring J1 is input and has anoutput terminal, which is connected to the shared electrode Tc andoutputs the signal S_Tc to the shared electrode Tc. The control signalTcSEL is input to the complementary control input terminal of the switchelement SWa. The switch element SWb has an input terminal to which thesignal Sc using the voltage Vcom from the wiring J2 is input and anoutput terminal, which is connected to the shared electrode Tc andoutputs the signal S_Tc to the shared electrode Tc. The inverted signalof the control signal TcSEL from the NOT circuit 711 is input to thecomplementary control input terminal of the switch element SWb.

An operation example corresponding to the signal S_Tc of the diagram (f)in FIG. 8 in the scanning circuit unit 53 and the shared-electrodeoutput unit 701 will be described below. First, in the display periodKd, the scanning circuit unit 53 turns off the control signals TcSEL toall of the shared electrodes Tc so as to, for example, apply alow-voltage signal. If the control signal TcSEL is off, in theshared-electrode output unit 701, the switch element SWa of theselecting switch part SWA is off, and the switch element SWb is on so asto, for example, apply a high-voltage signal. As a result, the selectingswitch part SWA outputs the signal Sc selected by the turned-on switchelement SWb to the shared electrode Tc as the signal S_Tc. As a result,as shown in the diagram (f) in FIG. 8, the common voltage Vcom isapplied to all the shared electrodes Tc.

Then, in the touch detection period Ks, the scanning circuit unit 53turns on the control signal TcSEL to the shared electrode Tc serving asa scanning target and turns off the control signal TcSEL to the othershared electrodes Tc. In the shared-electrode output unit 701, if thecontrol signal TcSEL is on, the switching element SWa of the selectingswitch part SWA is turned on, and the switch element SWb is turned off.As a result, the selecting switch part SWA outputs the touch drivesignal St, which is selected by the turned-on switch element SWa, to theshared electrode Tc as the signal S_Tc. As a result, as shown in thediagram (f) in FIG. 8, the touch drive signal St is applied to theshared electrode Tc serving as the scanning target.

[Common-Electrode Output Unit]

FIG. 15 shows a configuration example of a common-electrode output unit702, which is a circuit unit corresponding to output to the singlecommon electrode COM in the drive unit 50 of the embodiment 1B. Thecommon-electrode output unit 702 has the selecting switch part SWB ofFIG. 13. The common-electrode output unit 702 selects one from twostates, i.e., a state in which the signal Sc using the voltage Vcom fromthe wiring J2 is input and a state connected to the insulating part J3by the selecting switch part SWB in accordance with the control signalCOMSEL and obtains the state of the signal S_COM to the common electrodeCOM.

The selecting switch part SWB has the switch element SWc connected tothe wiring J2, the switch element SWd connected to the wiring J2, and aNOT circuit 712 connected to the line of the control signal COMSEL. Theswitch element SWc and the switch element SWd are formed of CMOSswitches, etc. The control signal COMSEL from the scanning circuit unit53 is input to the NOT circuit 712, and the output thereof is connectedto complementary control input terminals of the switch element SWc andthe switch element SWd. The NOT circuit 712 outputs a logically invertedsignal of on and off of the control signal COMSEL.

The switch element SWc has an input terminal to which the signal Scbased on the voltage Vcom from the wiring J2 is input and has an outputterminal connected to the common electrode COM to output the signalS_COM to the common electrode COM. The switch element SWc has thecomplementary control input terminal to which the control signal COMSELis input. The switch element SWc has an input terminal connected to theinsulating part J3 and has an output terminal connected to the commonelectrode COM to output the signal S_COM to the common electrode COM.The switch element SWd has the complementary control input terminal towhich the inverted signal of the control signal COMSEL from the NOTcircuit 712 is input.

The insulating part J3 is an electrically non-connected part having ahigh resistance such as 1 MΩ. In the selecting switch part SWB, if thestate of connection with the insulating part J3 is selected by turningon the switch element SWd, the high-impedance state is obtained as thesignal S_COM of the output to the common electrode COM. The insulatingpart J3 may be formed of a circuit unit such as a three-state buffer.

An operation example corresponding to the signal S_COM of the diagram(e2) in FIG. 8 in the scanning drive unit 53 and the common-electrodeoutput unit 702 will be described below. First, in the display periodKd, the scanning circuit unit 53 turns on the control signal COMSEL toall the common electrodes COM so as to, for example, apply a low voltagesignal. If the control signal COMSEL is on, in the common-electrodeoutput unit 702, the switch element SWc of the selecting switch part SWBis on, and the switch element SWd is off so as to, for example, apply ahigh voltage signal. As a result, the selecting switch part SWB outputsthe signal Sc, which is selected by turning on the switch element SWc,to the common electrode COM as the signal S_COM. As a result, as shownin the diagram (e2) in FIG. 8, the common voltage Vcom is applied to allof the common electrodes COM.

Then, in the touch detection period Ks, the scanning circuit unit 53switches the control signal COMSEL to all the common electrodes COM tooff. If the control signal COMSEL is off, in the common-electrode outputunit 702, the switch element SWc of the selecting switch part SWB isoff, and the switch element SWd is on. As a result, the selecting switchpart SWB is in the state connected to the insulating part J3, which isselected by turning on the switch element SWd. As a result, as shown inthe diagram (e2) in FIG. 8, all the common electrodes COM become thehigh-impedance state.

Embodiment 1C

A touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of an embodiment 1C will beexplained with reference to FIG. 16, etc. In the touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1 of the embodiment 1C, the configuration of the panelunit 5 is similar to the configuration of the embodiment 1A, and thedrive method and the configuration of the circuit unit 6 are different.The embodiment 1C uses the third drive method as a drive method matchingthe configuration of the electrode shapes, etc. of FIG. 5.

[Third Drive Method]

The third drive method in the embodiment 1C is shown by the signalS_COM, etc. of above-described diagram (e3) in FIG. 8. In the thirddrive method, the control of the common electrodes COM in the touchdetection period Ks is different from that of the first drive method. Inthe third drive method, the drive unit 50 switches the state of thecommon electrode COM between two states, i.e., a state of the electricpotential using the voltage Vcom and a state of the electric potentialusing a predetermined voltage Ve different from the voltage Vcom.

An operation example of the third drive method in FIG. 8 will bedescribed below. First, an operation in the display period Kd and anoperation, etc. of touch drive related to the signal S_Tc of the diagram(f) in FIG. 8 in the next touch detection period Ks are similar to thoseof the first drive method of the embodiment 1A. In relation to thesignal S_COM of the diagram (e3) in FIG. 8, in the touch detectionperiod Ks, based on the control signals from the scanning circuit unit53, the drive unit 50 switches all the common electrodes COM in thescreen area AG from the state of the voltage Vcom to the state of theelectric potential using the voltage Ve.

[Circuit Configuration of Drive Unit]

FIG. 16 shows a circuit configuration of the drive unit 50 correspondingto the third drive method in the embodiment 1C. As elements differentfrom those of the first drive method, the drive unit 50 of the thirddrive method includes a circuit unit which generates the signal Se usingthe voltage Ve, a wiring J4 which transmits the signal Se, a selectingswitch part SWB which selects one from the signal Sc and the signal Seand outputs that to the common electrode COM, etc. The scanning circuitunit 53 outputs the control signals COMSEL for controlling the commonelectrodes COM.

The common drive unit 52 includes a voltage source v3, which generatesthe predetermined direct-current voltage Ve, as a signal voltage source.The common drive unit 52 applies the signal Se using the voltage Ve fromthe voltage source v3 to the wiring J4. The signal Se of the wiring J4is input to an input terminal of the selecting switch part SWB of thesignal selecting switch part 54.

In accordance with the control signal COMSEL from the scanning circuitunit 53, the selecting switch part SWB selects one from the two, i.e.,the signal Sc using the voltage Vcom and the signal Se using the voltageVe and outputs the signal to the common electrode COM. The internalconfiguration of the selecting switch part SWB can be formed of switchelements, a NOT circuit, etc. in the same manner as the embodiment 1B.

In the third drive method, in the touch detection period Ks, theelectric potential of the common electrode COM can be changed to theelectric potential using the voltage Ve, which is different from theelectric potential using the voltage Vcom in the display period Kd. Theelectric potential using the voltage Ve can achieve, for example, avoltage using the suitable voltage Ve corresponding to the voltage Vt ofthe touch drive signal St at the shared electrode Tc adjacent to thecommon electrode COM.

Modification Example

In relation to the first drive method of the above-described embodiment1A, the second drive method of the embodiment 1B, and the third drivemethod of the embodiment 1C, a following modification example can beemployed. A touch-sensor-equipped display device of this modificationexample has a function of arbitrarily carrying out switching among acontrol state according to the first drive method, a control stateaccording to the second drive method, and a control state according tothe third drive method. The touch-sensor-equipped display device of thismodification example has a circuit configuration of the drive unit 50capable of carrying out the switching of the above-described controlstates, and this configuration is a configuration integrating FIG. 9,FIG. 13, FIG. 16, etc. The drive method of this modification example canarbitrarily carry out switching between the control state in which theelectric potential using the voltage Vcom is fixed as the state of thecommon electrodes COM and the control state in which the high-impedancestate is obtained. Moreover, the drive method of this modificationexample can arbitrarily carry out switching between the control state inwhich the electric potential using the voltage Ve is used as the stateof the common electrodes COM and the control state in which thehigh-impedance state is obtained.

Embodiment 1D

A touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of an embodiment 1D will beexplained with reference to FIG. 17. In the touch-sensor-equippeddisplay device 1 of the embodiment 1D, the configuration of the panelunit 5 is similar to the configuration of FIG. 5 of the embodiment 1A,and the scanning drive method by the circuit unit 6 is different. Thescanning drive method of the embodiment 1D will be referred to as asecond scanning drive method.

[Second Scanning Drive Method]

FIG. 17 shows a scanning drive example of the plurality of sharedelectrodes Tc of the screen area AG in the touch detection period Ks asthe second scanning drive method in the embodiment 1D. In the secondscanning drive method, in the touch detection period Ks, the drive unit50 carries out scanning drive of sequentially applying the touch drivesignal St to two of the M shared electrodes Tc of the touch detectionarea As at a time from the Y-direction upper side by using the scanningcircuit unit 53. In the second scanning drive method, the two sharedelectrodes Tc are driven at the same time by the same touch drive signalSt as scanning targets and units of scanning in every single scanning.FIG. 17 shows only one-side scanning drive in the both-side driveconfiguration.

In first scanning sc1 of the scanning sc of the touch detection area As,the drive unit 50 applies the touch drive signal St to one set of twoelectrodes, i.e., the shared electrode Tc1 and the shared electrode Tc2as scanning targets at the same time. Then, as second scanning sc2, thedrive unit 50 applies the touch drive signal St to one set of twoelectrodes, i.e., the shared electrode Tc3 and the shared electrode Tc4as scanning targets at the same time. The drive unit 50 similarlyrepeats scanning in the unit of the one set of two electrodes andapplies the touch drive signal St to the one set of two electrodes,i.e., the shared electrode TcM-1 and the shared electrode TcM at thesame time as Lth scanning scL. “L” which is the number of scanning isL=M/2, wherein “M” is the number of the shared electrodes Tc.

As described above, in the second scanning drive method, when theentirety of the touch detection area As is subjected to scanning onetime, the touch drive of the set of two shared electrodes Tc is executedL times. In the second scanning drive method, the number of scanning ofthe touch detection area As is small compared with the first scanningdrive method; therefore, the touch detection period Ks can be shortened.

Moreover, in the second scanning drive method of the embodiment 1D, uponscanning of each of the above-described shared electrodes Tc, the commonelectrodes COM adjacent to, from the Y-direction upper/lower sides, theshared electrodes Tc serving as scanning targets are controlled to, forexample, the electric potential using the voltage Vcom ofabove-described FIG. 8. As a result of this control, the loads of thepath parts including the shared electrodes Tc serving as scanningtargets are reduced, and the touch detection sensitivity of the units ofdetection U at the shared electrodes Tc serving as the scanning targetsis increased.

The scanning order is not limited to the scanning order of FIG. 17, andthe drive unit 50 can carry out scanning in an optional order whileselecting arbitrary two scanning electrodes Tc in the screen area AG asscanning targets by using the above-described scanning circuit unit 53.For example, the drive unit 50 is not limited to select the two sharedelectrodes Tc which are mutually adjacent via the common electrode COMin the Y-direction in the screen area AG, but may select the two sharedelectrodes Tc which are distant from each other via one or more sharedelectrodes Tc in the Y direction. Moreover, the number of the sharedelectrodes Tc driven at the same time by the scanning of one time is notlimited to two, and a configuration in which a plurality of electrodessuch as three or four electrodes serve as scanning targets as one setcan be used in the same manner as the above-described case.

In the case of the above-described second drive method, in the firstscanning drive method of FIG. 10 and the second scanning drive method ofFIG. 17, the common electrodes COM in the touch detection area As arecontrolled to the high-impedance state. In the case of theabove-described third drive method, in the first scanning drive methodof FIG. 10 and the second scanning drive method of FIG. 17, the commonelectrodes COM of the touch detection area As are controlled to thestate of the electric potential using the voltage Ve.

Embodiment 1E

A touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of an embodiment 1E will beexplained by using FIG. 18, etc. In the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the embodiment 1E, the configuration of the panel unit 5 issimilar to the configuration of FIG. 5 of the embodiment 1A, and thescanning drive method and the configuration of the circuit unit 6 aredifferent. The scanning drive method of the embodiment 1E will bereferred to as a third scanning drive method for the sake ofexplanation.

In the third scanning drive method of the embodiment 1E, in the touchdetection period Ks, in scanning drive of sequentially driving theplurality of shared electrodes Tc of the touch detection area As, thetouch drive signals St are applied to the shared electrode Tc serving asa scanning target, and the other non-scanning-target shared electrodesTc are switched to the high-impedance state.

[Third Scanning Drive Method]

FIG. 18 shows a configuration example of a drive period corresponding tothe third scanning drive method in the embodiment 1E. In the frameperiod F, first, the display period Kd is similar to that describedabove, in in which all of the shared electrodes Tc and all of the commonelectrodes COM of the screen area AG are controlled to a state of theelectric potential using the common voltage Vcom. In the touch detectionperiod Ks, the plurality of common electrodes COM are controlled to thehigh-impedance state, which is, for example, the same as the signalS_COM of the above-described diagram (e2) in FIG. 8.

In the touch detection period Ks, the drive unit 50 sequentiallysubjects the plurality of shared electrodes Tc of the touch detectionarea As to scanning drive one by one, for example, in the same manner asabove-described FIG. 10. A signal S_Tc1 of a diagram (fl) in FIG. 18shows the state of drive of the first shared electrode Tc1. “T1”represents touch drive time in the scanning drive of the sharedelectrode Tc1. During the touch drive time T1, the shared electrode Tc1is a scanning target, and the other shared electrodes Tc in the touchdetection area As are not scanning targets. In the touch drive time T1,the pulses of the touch drive signal St are applied to the sharedelectrode Tc1 serving as the scanning target.

In the same manner, a signal S_Tc2 of a diagram (f2) in FIG. 18 showsthe state of drive of the second shared electrode Tc2. In touch drivetime T2 subsequent to the touch drive time T1, the pulses of the touchdrive signal St are applied to the shared electrode Tc2. Similarly, asignal S_TcM of the diagram (f3) in FIG. 18 shows the state of drive ofthe Mth shared electrode TcM. In the touch drive time TM, the pulses ofthe touch drive signal St are applied to the shared electrode TcM.

In the third scanning drive method, while the touch drive signal St isapplied to the shared electrode Tc1 in the touch drive time T1, thedrive unit 50 carries out control so that the shared electrode Tc2 tothe shared electrode TcM, which are the other shared electrodes, obtainthe high-impedance state. When the scanning of the shared electrode Tc1of the touch drive time T1 is finished, the drive unit 50 controls thestate of the shared electrode Tc1 to be the high-impedance state in thetime in and after the next touch drive time T2. Similarly, the driveunit 50 carries out control so that the touch drive signal St is appliedto each of the shared electrodes Tc in the touch detection area As onlyupon scanning and is caused to be in the high-impedance state in othertime.

As described above, in the third scanning drive method, while a certainone of the shared electrodes Tc in the screen area AG is subjected toscanning drive, all of the common electrodes COM and the sharedelectrodes Tc near the shared electrode Tc on the Y-direction upper andlower sides are maintained to the high-impedance state. As a result, theloads at the path parts including the shared electrode Tc serving as thescanning target are reduced, and the touch detection sensitivity of eachof the units of detection at the shared electrode Tc serving as thescanning target can be increased.

[Circuit Configuration of Drive Unit]

FIG. 19 shows a circuit configuration of the drive unit 50 correspondingto the third scanning drive method in the embodiment 1E. As elementsdifferent from those of the configuration of FIG. 13 of the embodiment1B, in the configuration of the drive unit 50, the signal selectingswitch part 54 includes selecting switch parts SWA having an inputconnected to an insulating part J3 a in addition to an input of thetouch drive signal St from the wiring J1 and an input of the signal Scusing the voltage Vcom from the wiring J2 as the selecting switch partSWA connected to the shared electrode Tc. In accordance with the controlsignal TcSEL from the scanning circuit unit 53, the selecting switchpart SWA selects one from three states of connection with the touchdrive signal St, the signal Sc, and the insulating part J3 a andachieves a state in which the selected one is output to the sharedelectrode Tc. The configuration of the selecting switch part SWB issimilar to that of the embodiment 1B and has an input of the signal Scfrom the wiring J2 and an input connected to the insulating part J3 b.

In the embodiment 1E, as a modification example, in the touch detectionperiod Ks, the shared electrodes Tc, which are not scanning targets, maybe controlled to a state of the electric potential using the voltage Velike the above-described third drive method instead of thehigh-impedance state. In addition, as another modification example, theembodiment 1E may be combined with the embodiment 1D described above. Inthis case, in a touch detection period, the drive unit 50 sequentiallyapplies touch-drive signals to two or more of the plurality of driveelectrodes taken as a unit of scanning.

Embodiment 2

With reference to FIG. 20 to FIG. 22, a touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of a second embodiment of the present invention will beexplained. The touch-sensor-equipped display device 1 of the secondembodiment and a third embodiment has a configuration in whicharrangements are further made in the electrode shapes including theshared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM of the panel unit 5of the embodiment 1. By virtue of the present configuration, the loadsat the paths including the capacitors formed by the intersections of theshared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx are reduced, andthe touch detection sensitivity is maintained or improved. As theconfigurations of the entirety of the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the circuitunit 6, etc., configurations similar to those of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, etc.of the embodiment 1A can be used. Drive methods of the second embodimentand the third embodiment may use the configurations similar to the drivemethod, etc. of FIG. 8 of the embodiment 1A.

[Electrode Configuration of Screen Area]

FIG. 20 shows a configuration of an XY-plane of electrodes of the screenarea AG in the panel unit 5 of the touch-sensor-equipped display device1 of the second embodiment. FIG. 20 particularly shows a configurationof the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM in the TFTsubstrate 11 side by solid lines and shows a configuration of thedetection electrodes Rx in the color filter board 12 side by brokenlines.

The configuration of the panel unit 5 of the second embodiment has aconfiguration in which the area of the intersecting portions of theshared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx is reduced asarrangements in the electrode shapes compared with the comparativeexample of above-described FIG. 38. Moreover, corresponding to theconfiguration, the panel unit has a configuration in which the area ofthe intersecting portions of the common electrodes COM and the detectionelectrodes Rx is large, a configuration in which the area of the regionsexcluding the intersecting portions of the shared electrodes Tc with thedetection electrodes Rx is as large as possible, etc. By virtue of thepresent configurations, the loads of the above-described path partsincluding the shared electrodes Tc, the units of detection U, and thedetection electrodes Rx are reduced, and the touch detection sensitivityof the units of detection U is increased.

Each of the shared electrodes Tc has a shape in which the Y-directionwidth thereof is narrowed in the parts intersecting with the detectionelectrodes Rx, and the Y-direction width thereof is widened in the otherparts between the detection electrodes Rx. Corresponding to the shape ofthe shared electrode Tc, the common electrode COM has a shape in whichthe Y-direction width thereof in the parts intersecting with thedetection electrodes Rx is widened, and the Y-direction width thereof isnarrowed in the other parts between the detection electrodes Rx. Theshared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM mutually adjacent inthe Y-direction are formed in the same layer in the Z-direction,juxtaposed with a constant short interval, and electrically separatedfrom each other. A slit corresponding to the above-described shortinterval is disposed between the shared electrode Tc and the commonelectrode COM adjacent to each other in the Y-direction, for example,between the shared electrode Tc1 and the common electrode COM_2. Thus,the shared electrode Tc and the common electrode COM adjacent to eachother in the Y-direction are electrically separated from each other.

The Y-direction disposing pitch of the plurality of shared electrodes Tcand the plurality of common electrodes COM is constant at the pitch p2,which is the same as that of the embodiment 1A. The disposing pitch ofthe shared electrode Tc and the common electrode COM adjacent to eachother in the Y-direction is constant at the pitch p1, which is the sameas that of the embodiment 1A.

The X-direction disposing pitch of the plurality of detection electrodesRx is the same as the pitch p3 of the embodiment 1A. In the secondembodiment, the plurality of detection electrodes Rx have shapes inwhich the every single detection electrode Rx connected to the touchdetection part 60 or the wiring 22 is branched into two thin lineportions in the screen area AG. The X-direction disposing pitch of thetwo thin line portions of the single detection electrode Rx is a pitchp4, which is ½ with respect to the pitch p3 of the detection electrodesRx. In the second embodiment, the plurality of thin line portions of thedetection electrodes Rx of the screen area AG are disposed at theconstant pitch p4.

FIG. 21 shows an enlarged view showing details of the configuration ofthe electrodes of FIG. 20. Each of the shared electrodes Tc has thinline portions 71 and protruding electrode portions 72. The thin lineportion 71 is an electrode portion extending in the X-direction and hasa width hl. The thin line portion 71 is an electrode portion narrowed tocorrespond to the configuration in which the area of the intersectingportions c1 of the shared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rxis small. The protruding electrode portion 72 includes a rectangularelectrode portion protruding to the Y-direction upper/lower both sidesfrom the thin line portion 71. A region r1 represents a rectangularregion including the thin line portion 71 and the protruding electrodeportion 72 of the shared electrode Tc. The protruding electrode portion72 is an electrode portion widened to correspond to the configuration inwhich the area of the region r1 corresponding to the location in whichthe capacity serving as the unit of detection U is formed is large.Since the area of the intersecting portions c1 is small, the loads inthe vicinities of the intersecting portions c1 are low.

Corresponding to the shape of the shared electrode Tc, the commonelectrode COM has a thin line portion 41 and protruding electrodeportions 42. The thin line portion 41 is an electrode portion formed bya thin line extending in the X-direction and has a width h5. The thinline portion 41 is an electrode portion narrowed to correspond to theconfiguration in which the areas of the protruding electrode portion 72and the region r1 of the shared electrode Tc are large. The protrudingelectrode portion 42 includes a rectangular electrode portion protrudingto the Y-direction upper/lower both sides from the thin line portion 41.A region r2 represents a rectangular region including the thin lineportion 41 and the protruding electrode portion 42 of the commonelectrode COM. The region r2 corresponds to the intersecting portion c2in which the common electrode COM and the detection electrode Rx areoverlapped with each other in the Z-direction. The protruding electrodeportion 42 is an electrode portion corresponding to the configuration inwhich the area of the intersecting portion c2 of the common electrodeCOM and the detection electrode Rx is large. The area of theintersecting portion c2 is large compared with the area of theintersecting portion c1; however, since the common electrode COM iscontrolled to, for example, the electric potential using theabove-described voltage Vcom, the load in the vicinity of theintersecting portion c2 is low.

Regarding the intersecting portion c1 of the shared electrode Tc and thedetection electrode Rx, the Y-direction width hl of the thin lineportion 71 of the shared electrode Tc is smaller than the width ht ofthe shared electrode Tc of the embodiment 1A. The Y-direction width h2of the region r1 including the protruding electrode portion 72 of theshared electrode Tc is large compared with the width ht of the sharedelectrode Tc of the embodiment 1A. The relation of the widths is:h1<ht<h2.

Regarding the intersecting portion c2 of the common electrode COM andthe detection electrode Rx, the Y-direction width h4 of the region r2 ofthe region r2 including the thin line portion 41 and the protrudingelectrode portion 42 of the common electrode COM is larger than thewidth hc of the common electrode COM of the embodiment 1A. TheY-direction width h5 of the thin line portion 41 of the common electrodeCOM is smaller than the width hc of the common electrode COM of theembodiment 1A. The relation of the widths is: h5<hc<h4.

In the second embodiment, the detection electrode Rx has the shape inwhich the single thin line portion 80 is branched into a thin lineportion 81 and a thin line portion 82, which are two thin line portionsin the screen area AG. In the region between the thin line portion 81and the thin line portion 82, which are two thin line portions of thedetection electrode Rx, in the X-direction, the regions r1 including theprotruding electrode portions 72 of the shared electrodes Tc aredisposed, and the units of detection U corresponding to the capacitorsformed by the intersections of the shared electrodes Tc and thedetection electrodes Rx are formed. The second embodiment has aconfiguration in which the area of the region r1 is as large as possiblesince the Y-direction width h2 and the X-direction width h3 of theregion r1 of the shared electrode Tc between the thin line portions ofthe detection electrode Rx are large. By virtue of the presentconfiguration, the touch detection sensitivity of the units of detectionU formed by the capacitors formed to correspond to the regions r1 andthe intersecting portions c1 can be increased. The electric fieldsformed to correspond to the unit of detection U and the region r1include the electric fields generated between the region r1 includingthe protruding electrode portion 72 of the shared electrode Tc in theZ-direction lower side and the thin line portion 81 and the thin lineportion 82 of the detection electrode Rx in the Z-direction upper side.

The X-direction width h3 of the protruding electrode portion 72 and theregion r1 of the shared electrode Tc is substantially the same as thedistance between the thin line portion 81 and the thin line portion 82,which are the two thin line portions of the detection electrode Rx. TheX-direction width of the thin line portion 71 of the shared electrode Tcand the X-direction width h6 of the protruding electrode portion 42 ofthe common electrode COM are substantially the same as the width of thethin line portion 81 and the thin line portion 82 of the detectionelectrode Rx.

The unit of detection U in the touch detection area As of the secondembodiment is formed to correspond to the region r1 of the sharedelectrode Tc between the thin line portion 81 and the thin line portion82, which are the thin line portions branched into two from the singlethin line portion 80 at the center of the detection electrode Rx in thescreen area AG. Electric fields are generated between the first-sidethin line portion 81 of the detection electrode Rx and the regions r1 ofthe shared electrode Tc on both the X-direction left/right sides.Moreover, electric fields are generated between the second-side thinline portion 82 of the detection electrode Rx and the regions r1 of theshared electrode Tc in the X-direction left/right both sides. Thecapacitors corresponding to the units of detection U are formed by theseelectric fields.

In the panel unit 5 of the second embodiment, the sizes and ratios ofthe electrode portions such as the width hl to the width h6, etc. in theconfiguration of the above-described electrode shapes are designed. As aresult, the loads of the paths including the capacitors of the units ofdetection U are reduced to predetermined loads, and the touch detectionsensitivity of the capacitors of the units of detection U is configuredto be equal to or higher than predetermined sensitivity.

The configuration of the electrode shapes of the panel unit 5 of theabove-described second embodiment is preferred to be a configuration inwhich Y-direction edges of the shared electrodes Tc and the commonelectrodes COM match, as much as possible, Y-direction edges of thepixels of the display area Ad or the electrodes constituting the pixels.

Note that “2101” of FIG. 21 shows examples of the positions of the slitsdisposed between the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM,which are adjacent to each other. The slits include slit parts extendingin the X-direction and slit parts extending in the Y-direction tocorrespond to the shapes of the shared electrodes Tc and the commonelectrodes COM. The slit has the shape in which a slit part extending inthe X direction and a slit part extending in the Y-direction tocorrespond to the shape of the protruding electrode portion 72 of theshared electrode Tc are alternately connected.

[Electric Fields]

FIG. 22 includes diagrams (a) to (c) showing states of generation ofelectric fields corresponding to the electrode configuration of FIG. 20of the second embodiment. The diagram (a) in FIG. 22 shows part of theshared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COM of FIG. 20. Thediagram (b) in FIG. 22 shows the state of the electric fields in the XZcross section of a line g1-g2 of the diagram (a) in FIG. 22. This crosssection is a cross section corresponding to the position of the thinline portion 71 of the shared electrode Tc. Many electric force linesare generated between the rectangular region r1 including the thin lineportion 71 of the shared electrode Tc and the thin line portion 81 andthe thin line portion 82 of the detection electrode Rx, which are in theZ-direction upper side thereof and in the X-direction left/right sides;therefore, the touch detection sensitivity of the units of detection Ucorresponding to the regions r1 is increased.

The diagram (c) in FIG. 22 shows the state of the electric fields in theXZ cross section of a line g3-g4 of FIG. 22A. This cross section is across section corresponding to the positions of the protruding electrodeportions 72 of the shared electrode Tc and the protruding electrodeportions 42 of the common electrode COM. In the same manner as thediagram (b) in FIG. 22, in the diagram (c) in FIG. 22, many electricforce lines are generated between the rectangular regions r1 includingthe protruding electrode portions 72 of the shared electrode Tc and thethin line portion 81 and the thin line portion 82 of the detectionelectrode Rx, which are in the Z-direction upper side and in theX-direction left/right sides; therefore, the touch detection sensitivityat the units of detection U corresponding to the regions r1 isincreased.

[Effects, Etc.]

As described above, according to the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the second embodiment, the loads in the paths including thecapacitors formed by the intersections of the shared electrodes Tc andthe detection electrodes Rx can be reduced. The touch drive time and thetouch detection period can be shortened by reducing the loads. Moreover,according to the second embodiment, together with shortening of thetouch drive time and the touch detection period, touch detectionsensitivity can be maintained or improved by making arrangements in theelectrode shapes.

Modification Examples

The second embodiment can adopt the following modification examples.First, the shape of the shared electrodes Tc of FIG. 20 is not limitedto the shape having the protruding electrode portions 72 in theY-direction upper/lower both sides from the thin line portion 71, butmay be a shape having the protruding electrode portions 72 only in theY-direction upper/lower one side.

Moreover, the detection electrode Rx is not limited to have the shape inwhich the single thin line portion 80 is branched into the two thin lineportions, but may have a closed frame shape having an opening portion,in which terminal ends of the branched thin line portions are mutuallyconnected. As well as the embodiment 1A, the plurality of detectionelectrodes Rx may be formed of a plurality of parallel thin lines, whichare not branched. In that case, the thin line portions 71 of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the protruding electrode portions 42 of the commonelectrodes COM are provided to correspond to the positions where thethin lines of the detection electrodes Rx are present.

Moreover, the second embodiment can adopt other modification examples inthe same manner to the modification examples of the embodiment 1A shownin above-described FIGS. 30A and 30B. More specifically, the detectionelectrode Rx may have X-direction protruding electrode portions. Theprotruding electrode portions are preferred to be provided at positionsoverlapped with, from the Z-direction upper side, the thin line portions41 of the common electrodes COM.

Third Embodiment

By using FIG. 23 to FIG. 28, the touch-sensor-equipped display device 1of the third embodiment of the present invention will be explained. Thethird embodiment has a configuration in which further arrangements aremade in the electrode shapes of the panel unit 5 of the first embodimentand the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 23, etc. By virtue of thepresent configurations, the third embodiment reduces the loads of theabove-described paths including the shared electrodes Tc, the units ofdetection U, and the detection electrodes Rx and increases the touchdetection sensitivity of the units of detection U.

[Electrode Configuration of Screen Area]

FIG. 23 shows a configuration of an XY-plane of the electrodes of thescreen area AG in the panel unit 5 of the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the third embodiment. FIG. 23 particularly shows theconfiguration of the shared electrodes Tc and the common electrodes COMin the TFT substrate 11 side by solid lines and shows the configurationof the detection electrodes Rx in the color filter board 12 side bybroken lines.

In the configuration of the panel unit 5 of the third embodiment, first,the detection electrodes Rx are similar to the configuration of thedetection electrodes Rx of the second embodiment. In the thirdembodiment, each of the plurality of shared electrodes Tc has aplurality of rectangular electrode portions 73, which are separated fromeach other and juxtaposed in the X direction, and a plurality of metalwirings 78, which are coupled to the electrode portions 73. In the thirdembodiment, corresponding to the configuration of the electrode portions73 of the shared electrodes Tc, the plurality of common electrodes COMare formed as a common electrode COM having an integrated shape in thescreen area AG having a plurality of opening portions 43 juxtaposed inthe X-direction and the Y-direction.

As arrangements of the electrode shapes with respect to theconfiguration of the second embodiment, the panel unit 5 of the thirdembodiment has a configuration in which the area of the intersectingportion c1 of the shared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx isfurther small. As this configuration, the shared electrodes Tceliminates the thin line portions 71 of above-described FIG. 21, whichare the parts intersecting with the detection electrodes Rx, and connectthe parts in the Y-direction by the protruding electrode portions 42 ofthe above-described common electrodes COM. Thus, the shared electrode Tcof the third embodiment has the configuration in which it is separatedinto the plurality of rectangular electrode portions 73 juxtaposed inthe X-direction. The electrode portions 73 are provided at the positionsbetween the mutually adjacent thin line portions of the detectionelectrodes Rx, which are the positions not intersecting with the thinline portions of the detection electrodes Rx. The electrode portions 73are disposed like islands in the rectangular opening portions 43 of thecommon electrode COM with short intervals, and the electrode portions 73and the common electrode COM are electrically separated from each other.Between the electrode portions 73 and the common electrode COM, slitscorresponding to the above-described short intervals are disposed.Therefore, the electrode portions 73 and the common electrode COM areelectrically separated from each other.

The plurality of electrode portions 73 of the shared electrodes Tc areformed of a visible-light-permeable electrically conductive materialsuch as ITO. The Y-direction disposing pitch of the electrode portions73 of the plurality of shared electrodes Tc is the same as and constantat the pitch p2 of the second embodiment. The X-direction disposingpitch of the plurality of electrode portions 73 is the same as andconstant at the pitch p4 of the disposition of the thin line portion 81and the thin line portion 82 of the detection electrode Rx. Theelectrode portion 73 has a Y-direction width of w1 and an X-directionwidth of w2. The Y-direction width w1 of the electrode portion 73 is,for example, the same as the width h2 of the rectangular region r1 ofthe second embodiment. The X-direction width w2 of the electrode portion73 is substantially the same as the distance between the thin lineportion 81 and the thin line portion 82 of the detection electrode 81and the width h3 of the region r1 of the second embodiment.

As the arrangements in the electrode shapes, the panel unit 5 of thethird embodiment has a configuration in which, in the intersectingportion c1 of the shared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx, athin line portion of the common electrode COM is disposed to beseparated from the electrode portion 73, and the metal wirings 78 areprovided. Thus, in the configuration, the intersecting portion c1 isnarrowed, and the area of the intersecting portion c1 is small. Themetal wirings 78 are formed of a metal material having a lowerresistance than that of, for example, ITO. The metal wiring 78 is formedof the metal wiring 78 branched into a plurality of wirings, forexample, into six wirings parallel to the X direction for each of theshared electrodes Tc in the screen area AG. Each of the plurality ofmetal wirings 78 is a thin wiring. The Y-direction disposing pitch ofthe plurality of metal wirings 78 of each shared electrode Tc isconstant at p8. The plurality of metal wirings 78 of each sharedelectrode Tc are formed in the range of the Y-direction width w1 of theelectrode portion 73.

The metal wirings 78 couple the plurality of rectangular electrodeportions 73 of the shared electrode Tc in the X-direction. The electrodeportions 73 of the shared electrode Tc and the metal wirings 78 areformed in different layers in the Z-direction as shown inlater-described cross-sectional views and are coupled in theZ-direction.

By virtue of the above-described configuration, in the intersectingportions c1 of the shared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx,only the plurality of metal wirings 78 are present. As a result, in thethird embodiment, the area of the intersecting portions c1 of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx is small, and thevicinities of the intersecting portions c1 have low resistance;therefore, the loads of the above-described paths are low. Moreover,together with the configuration in which only the metal wirings 78 arepresent in the intersecting portions c1 of the shared electrodes Tc andthe detection electrodes Rx, it has the configuration in which the areaof the electrode portions 73 disposed in the regions in which the sharedelectrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx are not intersecting witheach other is as large as possible. As a result, the touch detectionsensitivity at the units of detection U of the capacitors formed tocorrespond to the electrode portions 73 can be increased.

FIG. 24 shows a configuration of the XY-plane of the common electrodeCOM, etc. as a state in which the metal wirings 78 of FIG. 23 areeliminated. The common electrode COM has the plurality of rectangularopening portions 43 juxtaposed in the X-direction and the Y-direction,thin line portions 44 extending in the X-direction between theY-direction opening portions 43, thin line portions 45 extending in theY-direction between the X-direction opening portions 43, and an outerperipheral part 46 provided to correspond to an outer peripheral part ofthe screen area AG. The plurality of rectangular opening portions 43 areprovided to correspond to the X-direction and Y-direction disposedpositions of the plurality of electrode portions 73. The Y-directionwidth w4 of the opening portion 43 is larger than the width w1 of theelectrode portion 73 by a distance corresponding to the slit. AnX-direction width w5 of the opening portion 43 is larger than the widthw2 of the electrode portion 73 by a distance corresponding to the slit.

The width of the X-direction thin line portion 44 is w6. The width ofthe Y-direction thin line portion 45 is w7. The width w6 of the thinline portion 44 and the width w7 of the thin line portion 45 aresubstantially the same as the width of the thin line portion of thedetection electrode Rx. The intersecting portion c2 formed byZ-direction overlapping of the common electrode COM and the detectionelectrode Rx corresponds to a region of the thin line portion 45.

The X-direction thin line portion 44 of the common electrode COM isprovided to correspond to the configuration in which the area of theelectrode portions 73 of the shared electrodes Tc is as large aspossible. The Y-direction thin line portions 45 of the common electrodesCOM are provided to correspond to the configuration in which the area ofthe intersecting portions c1 of the shared electrodes c1 and thedetection electrodes Rx is reduced, and the area of the intersectingportions c2 of the common electrode COM and the detection electrodes Rxis large. By virtue of this configuration, loads in the vicinities ofthe intersecting portions c2 are low.

The capacity which serves as the unit of detection U in the thirdembodiment is formed to correspond to a position between the thin linerpart 81 and the thin line portion 82, which are branched into two fromthe single thin line portion 80 of the detection electrode Rx in thescreen area AG. In the vicinities of the intersecting portion c1 of theshared electrode Tc and the detection electrode Rx, electric fields aregenerated between the electrode portion 73 of the shared electrode Tc inthe Z-direction lower side and the thin line portion 81 and the thinline portion 82 of the detection electrode Rx in the Z-direction upperside.

In the panel unit 5 of the third embodiment, the sizes and ratios of theelectrode portions such as the width w1, the width w7, etc. are designedin the configuration of the above-described electrode shapes. As aresult, the loads of the paths including the capacitors of the units ofdetection are reduced to predetermined loads, and the touch detectionsensitivity of the capacitors of the units of detection U are configuredto be equal to or higher than predetermined sensitivity.

[Cross-Sectional Configuration of Panel Unit]

FIG. 25 shows a cross section corresponding to a line d5-d6 of FIG. 23and FIG. 24 as an XZ cross section of the panel unit 5 of the thirdembodiment. This cross section particularly shows a cross section of alocation where the metal wirings 78 are present. The configuration ofthis cross section has an electrode layer 14, a metal wiring layer 18,contact connecting portions 19, etc. as elements different from thecross section of the panel unit 5 of the above-described firstembodiment.

The electrode layer 14 is a layer in which the electrode portions 73 ofthe shared electrodes Tc and the common electrode COM are formed of, forexample, ITO. In the cross section of FIG. 25, in the electrode layer14, the electrode portions 73 of the shared electrode Tc and the thinline portions 45 of the common electrode COM are alternately disposed inthe X-direction.

The metal wiring layer 18 is a layer in which the metal wirings 78 areformed. The metal wirings 78 of the metal wiring layer 18 and theplurality of electrode portions 73 of the shared electrodes Tc of theelectrode layer 14 in the Z-direction upper side thereof are coupled toeach other by the contact connecting portions 19. In an insulating layerbetween the metal wiring layer 18 and the electrode layer 14, theplurality of contact connecting portions 19 of an electricallyconductive material are provided.

“2501” and “2502” show images of the capacitors formed between theelectrode portions 73 of the shared electrode Tc and the thin lineportions 81 and the thin line portions 82 of the detection electrodesRx. The capacitors corresponding to the above-described units ofdetection U are formed by the capacity 2501 and the capacity 2502.

As shown in the cross section of FIG. 25, the electrodes such as theshared electrodes Tc, the common electrode COM, and the detectionelectrodes Rx and electrodes such as the pixel electrodes 36constituting the pixels and unshown gate lines GL and source lines SLare preferred to be formed so that the edges thereof extending in theY-direction mutually match in the Z-direction as much as possible.

FIG. 26 shows a cross section corresponding to a line d7-d8 of FIG. 23and FIG. 24 as a YZ cross section of the panel unit 5 of the thirdembodiment. This cross section particularly shows the cross section ofthe location in which the thin line portion 81 or the thin line portion82 of the detection electrode Rx and the thin line portion 45 of thecommon electrode COM are present. The electrode layer 14 has the thinline portion 45 of the common electrode COM. In the metal wiring layer18, the plurality of, for example, six metal wirings 78 are formed inevery width w1 corresponding to the electrode portion 73 of the sharedelectrode Tc.

FIG. 27 shows a cross section corresponding to a line d9-d10 of FIG. 23and FIG. 24 as a YZ cross section of the panel unit 5 of the thirdembodiment. This cross section particularly shows a cross section of alocation where the electrode portions 73 of the shared electrodes Tc andthe thin line portions 44 of the common electrode COM are present. Inthe electrode layer 14, the electrode portions 73 of the sharedelectrodes Tc and the thin line portions 44 of the common electrodes COMare alternately disposed in the Y-direction. In the outer peripheralpart of the screen area AG, the outer peripheral part 46 of the commonelectrode COM is disposed. In the metal wiring layer 18, the pluralityof metal wirings 78 are formed for every width w1 corresponding to theshared electrode Tc, and the plurality of metal wirings 78 and theelectrode portions 73 are coupled to each other by the plurality ofcontact connecting portions 19, respectively.

In the third embodiment, the configuration in which the common electrodeCOM and the electrode portions 73 are provided in the Z-direction upperside of the metal wirings 78 has been explained; however, the presentinvention is not limited thereto. In the panel unit 5 of the presentinvention, the metal wirings 78 may be disposed in the Z-direction upperside of the common electrode COM and the electrode portions 73. Forexample, in FIG. 25, etc., the Z-direction positions of the electrodelayer 14 and the metal wiring layer 18 may be configured to be reversed.In the configuration in which the metal wirings 78 are disposed in theZ-direction upper side of the common electrode COM and the electrodeportion 73, the widths of the thin lines of the metal wirings 78 arepreferred to be as small as possible.

[Electric Fields]

FIG. 28 includes diagrams (a) and (b) showing a state of generation ofelectric fields corresponding to the electrode configuration of FIG. 23of the third embodiment. The diagram (a) in FIG. 28 shows part of theshared electrodes Tc and the common electrode COM of FIG. 23. Thediagram (b) in FIG. 28 shows the state of the electric fields in the XZcross section of the line g5-g6 of the diagram (a) in FIG. 28. Thiscross section is a cross section corresponding to the positions of theelectrode portions 73 of the shared electrode Tc and the metal wirings78. Many electric force lines are generated between the electrodeportion 73, which is connected to the metal wirings 78 of the sharedelectrode Tc in the Z-direction lower side, and the thin line portion 81and the thin line portion 82 of the detection electrode Rx in theX-direction left/right sides in the Z-direction upper side; therefore,the touch detection sensitivity at the units of detection U formed bythe capacitors formed to correspond to the electrode portions 73 isincreased.

[Effects, Etc.]

As described above, according to the touch-sensor-equipped displaydevice 1 of the third embodiment, the loads at the paths including thecapacitors formed by the intersections of the shared electrodes Tc andthe detection electrodes Rx can be reduced. The touch drive time and thetouch detection period can be shortened by reducing the loads. Moreover,according to the third embodiment, together with shortening of the touchdrive time and the touch detection period, touch detection sensitivitycan be maintained or improved by making arrangements in the electrodeshapes.

Modification Examples

The third embodiment can employ below modification examples. Theelectrode portion 73 of the shared electrode Tc disposed in the openingportion 43 of the common electrode COM between the detection electrodesRx is not limited to the electrode portion of a single rectangularregion, but may be an electrode portion separated into a plurality ofregions. As well as the modification examples of the above-describedembodiment 1A and the second embodiment, the detection electrode Rx maybe provided with an electrode portion protruding to the X-direction.Moreover, the common electrode COM is not limited to the shapeintegrated into one, but may have a shape divided into a plurality ofcommon electrodes COM in the Y-direction as well as the secondembodiment.

Fourth Embodiment

[Electronic Device]

FIG. 31A to FIG. 36 show configurations of an electronic device of afourth embodiment, which are application examples of the electronicdevice 3 of the first embodiment to the third embodiment. An electronicdevice 3 a of FIG. 31A shows an example of a schematic externalappearance shape of a case of a smartphone. An electronic device 3 a ofFIG. 31B shows an example of a schematic external appearance shape of acase of a tablet terminal. A chassis 3 a 1 of the electronic device 3 aof FIG. 31A or FIG. 31B has a region 3 a 2 corresponding to theabove-described screen area AG.

An electronic device 3 b of FIG. 32 shows an example of an externalappearance shape of a case of a mobile phone. FIG. 32A and FIG. 32B showa state before and after a chassis 3 b 1 of the electronic device 3 b isfolded. The chassis 3 b 1 of the electronic device 3 b of FIG. 32A has aregion 3 b 2 corresponding to the above-described screen area AG in theinner surface side thereof. The folded chassis 3 b 1 of FIG. 32B has aregion 3 b 3 corresponding to the above-described screen area AG on theouter surface side thereof.

An electronic device 3 c of FIG. 33 shows an example of an externalappearance shape of a case of a television device. A chassis 3 c 1 ofthe electronic device 3 c has a region 3 c 2 corresponding to theabove-described screen area AG. An electronic device 3 d of FIG. 34shows an example of an external appearance shape of a case of a notebookPC. A foldable chassis 3 d 1 of the electronic device 3 d has a region 3d 2 corresponding to the above-described screen area AG on a surface inthe display side thereof.

An electronic device 3 e of FIG. 35 shows an example of an externalappearance shape of a case of a digital camera. A chassis 3 e 1 of theelectronic device 3 e has a region 3 e 2 corresponding to theabove-described screen area AG on a surface thereof in a monitor side.An electronic device 3 f of FIG. 36 shows an example of an externalappearance shape of a case of a digital video camera. A chassis 3 f 1 ofthe electronic device 3 f has a region 3 f 2 corresponding to theabove-described screen area AG on a surface in a monitor side when anopenable/closable part thereof is opened to the outer side.

<Effects, Etc.>

As described above, according to the embodiments, by virtue of theconfigurations, etc. of the arrangements of the electrode shapes, theloads in the paths including the capacitors formed by the intersectionsof the shared electrodes Tc and the detection electrodes Rx can bereduced. The touch drive time and the touch detection period can bereduced by reducing the loads.

In the foregoing, the invention made by the inventor of the presentinvention has been concretely described based on the embodiments. Asanother embodiment, the detection electrode Rx of the embodiment 1A mayhave a shape in which the single detection electrode Rx is branched intothe thin line portion 81 and the thin line portion 82, which are twothin line portions, like the second embodiment, etc. In the secondembodiment and the third embodiment, the ratio of the width of theshared electrode Tc and the common electrode COM may be configured likethe modification example of FIG. 29 of the embodiment 1A.

As another embodiment, the display device applied to thetouch-sensor-equipped display device is not limited to a liquid-crystaldisplay device, and various display devices such as organic EL displaydevices, plasma display devices, etc. can be also applied. In theabove-described embodiments, the cases applied to the liquid-crystaldisplay device having the liquid crystal layer 13 as the displayfunction layer have been explained; however, a display device having adifferent display function layer can be applied. For example, in anorganic EL display device having an organic EL layer as a displayfunction layer, when the configuration of the shared electrodes Tc, thecommon electrodes COM, etc. and the configuration of the circuit unit 6similar to those of the above-described embodiments are applied, atouch-sensor-equipped organic EL display device can be provided. Thematerial of the glass substrate, etc. constituting the above-describedpanel unit is not limited to a highly rigid material. When the panelunit is formed of a material having a low rigidity, it can be applied toelectronic paper, etc.

The present invention can be utilized in various touch-sensor-equippeddisplay devices, electronic devices, etc.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present subjectmatter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is thereforeintended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A display device comprising: apanel unit including a screen area in which units of detection composinga touch-sensor function and pixels composing a display function areformed in a matrix pattern; a plurality of drive electrodes which areformed in the screen area, parallel to a first direction, and for bothdisplay drive and touch drive; a plurality of common electrodes fordisplay drive which are formed in the screen area, parallel to the firstdirection, and respectively alternately disposed with the plurality ofrespective drive electrodes in a second direction intersecting with thefirst direction; a plurality of detection electrodes which are formed inthe screen area, parallel to the second direction, and intersect withthe plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of commonelectrodes; and the units of detection corresponding to respectivecapacitors formed by intersections of the plurality of drive electrodesand the plurality of detection electrodes.
 2. The display deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of driveelectrodes in the second direction is larger than a width of each of theplurality of detection electrodes in the first direction and is the sameas a width of each of the plurality of common electrodes in the seconddirection.
 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a widthof each of the plurality of drive electrodes in the second direction islarger than a width of the plurality of detection electrodes in thefirst direction and is smaller than a width of each of the plurality ofcommon electrodes in the second direction.
 4. The display deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of driveelectrodes in the second direction is larger than a width of each of theplurality of detection electrodes in the first direction and is largerthan a width of each of the common electrodes in the second direction.5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein, in the screen area,the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of common electrodesare formed in a same layer in a third direction perpendicular to thescreen area; and the plurality of drive electrodes are respectivelyjuxtaposed with the plurality of respective common electrodes with aconstant interval therebetween.
 6. The display device according to anyone of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of drive electrodes has athin wiring part extending in the first direction and intersecting withthe detection electrode, and a protruding electrode portion protrudingfrom the thin wiring part to the second direction in a region notintersecting with the detection electrode.
 7. The display deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of common electrodeshas a thin wiring part extending in the first direction, and aprotruding electrode portion protruding from the thin wiring part to thesecond direction in a region intersecting with the detection electrode.8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein, in the screen area,the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of common electrodesare formed in a same layer in a third direction perpendicular to thescreen area; and the plurality of drive electrodes are respectivelyjuxtaposed with the plurality of respective common electrodes with aconstant interval therebetween.
 9. The display device according to claim1, wherein each of the plurality of drive electrodes has a plurality ofelectrode portions provided to be mutually separated in a region notintersecting with the detection electrode in the first direction, and awiring part which extends in the first direction and couple theplurality of electrode portions to a region thereof intersecting withthe detection electrode.
 10. The display device according to claim 9,wherein the plurality of common electrodes formed in the screen area isformed as an integrated common electrode in the screen area byconnection in the second direction with thin line portions providedbetween the plurality of electrode portions in the plurality of driveelectrodes, and has a plurality of opening portions corresponding topositions at which the plurality of electrode portions are respectivelydisposed.
 11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein, in thescreen area, the plurality of electrode portions of the plurality ofdrive electrodes and the integrated common electrode are formed in asame layer in a third direction perpendicular to the screen area; andthe plurality of electrode portions of the plurality of drive electrodesare disposed respectively in the plurality of opening portions of theintegrated common electrode with a constant interval.
 12. The displaydevice according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrode portionsare formed of a first electrically conductive material; and the wiringpart is formed of a second electrically conductive material having aresistance lower than that of the first electrically conductivematerial.
 13. The display device according to claim 9, wherein thewiring part is provided in a first layer in a third directionperpendicular to the screen area; the wiring part has a plurality ofwirings parallel to the first direction; the plurality of electrodeportions are provided in a second layer in the third direction; and, ineach of the plurality of drive electrodes, each of the plurality ofelectrode portions and the plurality of wirings of the wiring part arecoupled to each other by a contact connecting portion in the thirddirection.
 14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein theelectrode portion is provided above the wiring part in the thirddirection.
 15. The display device according to claim 13, wherein thewiring part is provided above the electrode portion in the thirddirection.
 16. The display device according to claim 1, wherein theplurality of detection electrodes are formed of thin line portionsdisposed at a constant pitch in the first direction.
 17. The displaydevice according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of detectionelectrodes are disposed at a constant pitch in the first direction; andeach of the plurality of detection electrodes is formed of a thin lineportion branched into two in the screen area.
 18. The display deviceaccording to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of detectionelectrodes has, at a position overlapped with the common electrode in athird direction perpendicular to the screen area, a protruding electrodeportion protruding in the first direction from the thin line portionextending in the second direction.
 19. The display device according toclaim 1, wherein the panel unit has a first board structure in which theplurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of common electrodes areformed; a second board structure in which the plurality of detectionelectrodes are formed; and a display function layer which is providedbetween the first board structure and the second board structure and iscontrolled by the pixels in order to display an image.
 20. The displaydevice according to claim 1, further comprising: a first circuit unitwhich applies touch-drive signals to the plurality of drive electrodesin the screen area; a second circuit unit which applies display-drivesignals to the plurality of drive electrodes and the plurality of commonelectrodes of the screen area; a third circuit unit which appliesdisplay-drive signals to the matrix of the pixels of the screen area;and a fourth circuit unit which detects touch-detection signals based onthe touch-drive signals from the plurality of detection electrodes ofthe screen area.